Kiefer earned $99,000 for his hard-fought victory over the seventh seed to notch up his second career singles title. Kiefer last won a title in Toulouse in 1997.

The victory in Tokyo will also move Kiefer, ranked 26 in the world, closer to his first ever top 20 ranking.

Kiefer played strong, all-round tennis to pull out the win by the slimmest margins, with a pair of errant Ferreira shots in a tie-break leading to a first-set win for the German.

At 5-4 in the second set, Kiefer was serving for the match. But he double faulted at 30-all and Ferreira broke serve with a return winner to leave the set levelled at 5-5.

Kiefer was the player with the greater patience and skill over the next two games as he broke back Ferreira in the next game and blitzed him on his serve to win the championship and the biggest cheque of his career.

On thewomen's side, American Amy Frazier picked up her sixth career singles title today with a 6-2, 6-2 finals drubbing of top seed Ai Sugiyama of Japan.

Setback for France

MOSCOW:

Nathalie Tauziat's second singles defeat in two days left France with an uphill battle to win their Fed Cup Tennis Championship clash with Russia here today.

Tauziat, last year's defeated Wimbledon finalist, lost 6-2, 6-4 to Elena Likhovtseva. Yesterday Tauziat had lost to Tatiana Panova, ranked only 71 in the world.

The defeat Put russia 2-1 ahead and left France's fate on the shoulders of Amelie Mauresmo, who must beat Panova to take the tie into the deciding doubles.

Belgium advance

DEN BOSCH (NETHERLANDS): Els Callens, standing-in for Dominique Van Roost, gave Belgium an unbeatable 3-0 lead over the Netherlands in their Fed Cup World Group Two tie today.

Callens, who played instead of an exhausted Van Roost, beat Miriam Oremans 6-1, 7-6.

With the victory Belgium are certain of a place in next year'srevamped Fed Cup World Group One while the Dutch face a series of play-offs.