Monica Seles crushed Chanda Rubin in straight sets to win the Madrid Open title on Saturday.

The 6-4 6-2 win on clay over her fellow American gave Seles a 53rd WTA singles crown.

Seles, who went into the tournament ranked sixth on the WTA tour, defeated Rubin in an hour and seven minutes under a strong sun at Madrid's Club de Campo.

Seles, 28, and Rubin, 26, traded games as the first set opened with the players cautiously testing each other.

But Seles broke Rubin's service, claiming the last two games to take the set 6-4.

Stinging

She maintained the momentum in the second, racing to a 4-1 advantage before Rubin came from behind to win the fifth game.

But Seles outmanoeuvered the younger player with stinging serves and charging the net to win the 29-minute second set 6-2.

Seles said: "I was very glad to get some clay-court matches under my belt ahead of Paris and I am pretty pleased with my form at the moment.

"I am still hungry for another (Roland Garros) victory, but am lucky to be at the stage of my career where I am playing purely for the enjoyment."

Saturday's win was Seles' second Madrid Open title. She won it first 10 years ago, and was a losing finalist in 1997.