(Reuters) -Russian Diana Shnaider continued her impressive winning streak in tour-level finals at the Monterrey Open on Saturday, beating compatriot Ekaterina Alexandrova 6-4 4-6 6-4 in the WTA 500 event’s final.

Shnaider had little trouble in the opening set but struggled in a topsy-turvy second, as Alexandrova clinched the set’s fifth and decisive break at 5-4 to force a decider.

Third seed Shnaider carved out an advantage early on in the third set when she broke Alexandrova in the first game and held serve to go 2-0 up, an advantage she would not relinquish.

World number 12 Shnaider is now unbeaten in her last five finals on the WTA Tour, adding the Monterrey crown to her triumphs in Hong Kong, Budapest, Bad Homburg and Hua Hin last year.

The win also saw Shnaider level her head-to-

See Full Page