KATOWICE, Poland, April 13, 2014 Agence France Presse: France’s Alize Cornet won her fourth career title on Sunday when she saved a match point on her way to a 7-6 (7/3), 5-7, 7-5 victory over Italy’s Camila Giorgi in the Katowice final.

Cornet, the world 22, added the Poland title to trophies at Budapest in 2008, Bad Gastein in 2012 and Strasbourg last year.

The 24-year-old had knocked out world number three Agnieszka Radwanska in the semifinals.

Verdasco, Almagro to meet in Houston final

In Houston, fourth seeded Fernando Verdasco beat Santiago Giraldo in straight sets to reach his first final of 2014, where an all-Spanish battle awaits.

Verdasco eased past Giraldo 6-4, 7-5 in the first semi-final match at the US men’s clay court championship.

Former world number seven Verdasco will try to earn his first title since 2010 against third seed Spanish compatriot Nicolas Almagro, who advanced when American Sam Querrey was cut down by a back injury.

“He’s really dangerous on clay,” Almagro said of Verdasco. “He’s serving well. It will be a nice final. We are going to do our best.”

Almagro lost in last year’s Houston final to American John Isner.

Verdasco, who advanced to his 19th final on the Tour, is seeking to snap a six-match losing streak in finals since hoisting his fifth trophy on the clay of Barcelona in 2010.

Fourth seeded Verdasco became the first player since Marcel Granollers in 2008 to reach both the singles and doubles finals in Houston.

Verdasco overcame a 3-5 deficit in the second set in windy conditions on Saturday at the River Oaks Country Club. He won four consecutive games for the victory in 91 minutes.

Verdasco converted on five of six break points, clinching the match when Giraldo sent a backhand return long.

Verdasco will face Almagro for the 10th time in their careers.

Almagro is aiming for his 13th title. The Houston final will not feature an American for just the second time since 2000.

Djokovic hits fast forward in Monte Carlo

Meantime, Novak Djokovic believes he has hit the reset button on his 2014 season at exactly the right moment as the world number two enters the Monte Carlo Masters eager to begin his title defense.

The Serb, who is based in the principality, ended Rafael Nadal’s eight-year title streak a year ago although the Spaniard still went on to defend his French Open crown.

Djokovic said he was bolstered by his back-to-back Masters trophies from the US last month as he beat Roger Federer in Indian Wells and topped Nadal for a third straight match to win Miami honors.

“I’m excited to be defending, but I don’t change the way that I approach any event,” said the second seed, who now has coach Boris Becker back in his corner after the German’s recent hip surgery.

“My state of mind right now is all that I had hoped for, I do have confidence, especially after a slow start to this season.

“Going onto the clay always feels like a new beginning, it will be very important to start well, hopefully with another win. But then again, with the level of competition out there, no one can predict anything.”

Djokovic enters the competition at the Monte Carlo Country Club riding a 10-match win streak after completing the Indian-Wells-Miami double for the first time in his career. He stands 20-6 in Monte Carlo.

Djokovic is seeking to become the fifth player to successfully defend his crown in Monte Carlo following Bjorn Borg (1980), Thomas Muster (1996), Juan Carlos Ferrero (2003) and Nadal (2006-2012).

Top seed Nadal, meanwhile, is trying to keep the pressure on himself as low as reasonably possible.

Spain’s world No. 1 said that he goes into his most potent period of the year unsure of anything except the fact that nothing will be easy.

The 27-year-old admitted on Sunday that the last time he played truly well on the surface he loves was the 2013 Roland Garros final, when he won the grand slam title for an eighth time.

“This is an important part of the season for everyone, not just me,” said the Spaniard.

“I don’t automatically switch from hardcourt to clay, I need time to make the adjustment. I only play on clay for five — maximum six — tournaments per year, I need time to adapt.”

Swiss Stanislas Wawrinka takes the third seeding, with the Australian Open winner over Nadal eager to show that he can hang with the elite and live up to his ranking of third.