Vera Zvonareva has joined the list of players who have staked a claim for a place in the season-ending Tournament of Champions, holding off a strong challenge from India’s Sania Mirza to win the PTT Pattaya Open International Series event. The Russian world number five won 7-5 6-1, with her victory coming against an opponent who because of a wrist injury has only played two tournaments since the Beijing Olympics last August. But in those two tournaments she has won the mixed doubles title at the Australian Open and followed that up by reaching a singles final.

"I was able to take a 5-2 lead, but it didn't really mean much because every game was very tough - it was close from the beginning," said Zvonareva, who claimed her eighth career title. "She was able to lift her game up a little bit, and maybe I wasn't exactly playing as aggressively as I normally do. The rhythm changed and it was 5-all.

"I'm very happy with the way I lifted my own game at that point. After I won the first set I really started to play my game and didn't give her a chance to play how she wanted to play. I'm really happy with the way I finished the match."

Despite her defeat, Mirza considered she had played well.

"The first set could have gone either way, but when you're playing against someone who's so good, if you don't take your chances - the one or two that you get - you will pay a price for it," said Mirza. "She played a great match. I felt like I played okay as well. I was striking the ball well."

All the winners of the WTA International Series events will join the Road To Bali, with the players who earn most points at those 30 tournaments throughout the season qualifying for the $600,000 finale to be held at the Bali Convention Centre, Westin Hotel, Nusa Dua, between 8th and 14th November. A player who wins three International Series events can then win a $1 million bonus if she also wins the Commonwealth Bank Tournament Of Champions in Bali.