Russian star moves up to No 2 in rankings after Beijing triumph

Maria Sharapova outlasted Petra Kvitova 6-4, 2-6, 6-3 in a hard-hitting, back-and-forth duel to win the China Open on Sunday and return to No 2 in the world rankings.

The fourth-seeded Sharapova overcame 10 double faults and a number of untimely errors to defeat Kvitova in a rematch of the 2011 Wimbledon final, won by the Czech left-hander.