Maria Sharapova beats Jelena Jankovic in Cincinnati

Sharapova wins her 24th career title in Cincinnati

Former world number one Maria Sharapova beat Serbia's Jelena Jankovic 4-6 7-6 (7-3) 6-3 to win the Cincinnati title.

Serbian world number 14 Jankovic was 4-1 down in the opener but rattled off seven successive games to snatch the set and move a break up in the second.

Sharapova battled her way back, recovering the break and grinding down Jankovic in the subsequent tie-break.

The third set started with six breaks of serve, before Sharapova held to win her second title this season.

"It was a really tough one out there," said Sharapova, after claiming her 24th career victory. "It was so physical and, in the end, it could have gone either way.

"We kept breaking each other in the beginning. It felt like one of us played a few good points and than the other one and the levels were up and down throughout the match."