Comeback kid Svetlana Kuznetsova goes into Wimbledon as a danger to everyone after winning her first grass court title at Eastbourne.

The sturdy teenager continued her knack of recovering from behind to complete a hat-trick of tour victories for Russian players in Saturday's final of the Hastings Direct Championships at Devonshire Park.

Second seed Kuznetsova's 2-6, 7-6, 6-4 triumph against unseeded Slovakian Daniela Hantuchova in just over two hours followed Anastasia Myskina's success in the French Open and Maria Sharapova's win on grass in Birmingham earlier this month.

It was another brave fightback by Kuznetsova. She was only two points from defeat when Hantuchova served for the match at 6-5 in the second set.

Compatriot Eva Zvonareva also served for the match against her in the second set of their semi-final on Friday and Kuznetsova dropped the first set as well in her quarter-final against Slovenian Tina Pisnik.

The world No. 9 already has a Wimbledon pedigree. She reached the quarter-finals last year, beating Sharapova along the way, before losing to Justine Henin-Hardenne.

Both Hardenne and fellow Belgian Kim Clijsters are out of Wimbledon, through illness and injury respectively, and with the previously invincible Williams sisters showing patchy form, Kuznetsova is expected to progress at least as far this time.

The eighth seed starts against a qualifier and is in the same quarter of the draw as Amelie Mauresmo, who was upset by Hantuchova in the semi-finals at Eastbourne.

"I am playing well and if I have a good day I think I can beat anybody," she said. "It's really open, but I am not saying I will win Wimbledon. When you go to a Grand Slam it's really tough to play two weeks in a row."

The £50,000 first prize for her third tour victory and first since Helsinki in 2002 is an early birthday present for Kuznetsova, 19 this Sunday.

She was straight on the mobile phone after the match to break the good news to her oblivious mother, Galina, back at home in St Petersburg.

"The first thing she asked was when am I going to London," said Kuznetsova. "I don't think she even knew it was the final. I think she thought it was Sunday. I didn't want to tell her, because it makes her too nervous!"

Kuznetsova is from a family of top cyclists. Mum was a world champion six times and holds 20 world records, her father Alexandr coached five Olympic and world champions and brother Nikolai was a silver medallist at the Atlanta Games in 1996.

Martina Navratilova's doubles partner last year looked as if she was on her bike when Hantuchova broke in the third and seventh games to take the first set in 31 minutes.

Kuznetsova seemed certain to be the bridesmaid again for the fourth time this year, after losing finals in Dubai, Doha and Warsaw, as Hantuchova broke to lead 6-5 in the second set.

But she finally took advantage of her sixth break point of the contest to level the set before running away with the tie break 7-2.

Games went with serve in the decider until Kuznetsova made the crucial break to lead 5-4.

Nerves nearly got the better of her, a third double fault helping Hantuchova to three break points in the longest game of the match, before another big serve created the opening she needed.

Hantuchova could only just get the ball back and Kuznetsova thumped a forehand winner into the open court.

It was an agonising end to a hugely encouraging week for Hantuchova, who has put the pounds back on and rediscovered her form after both her weight and ranking plummeted.

Kuznetsova revealed: "I practised with her on the first day of the week. Her coach (Nigel Sears from Lewes) asked me to hit with her. We played a set and I won it maybe 6-3. It didn't seem so tough to play her, but she improved so much and gained so much confidence by beating Amelie."

Sears will be pleased the emotionally fragile former world No. 5 did not capitulate in the third set after being so close to victory and falling apart in the second set tie-break.

Hantuchova, whose ranking is now expected to rise from 54 to around 37, said: "I am really happy about the way things went. I couldn't have asked for a better preparation for Wimbledon.

"I had the match in my hands but didn't finish it and then it was hard to do anything because she was serving well. It was much easier for her than me in the third set when the wind got up, because she has a lower ball toss.

"I didn't do too much wrong when I served for the match. Maybe I was a little bit too defensive and should have gone for it more."

Hantuchova's first round opponent at Wimbledon is American Samantha Reeves. "I have a good chance if I keep playing like this," she said. "Eastbourne has given me the belief I have been lacking in the last couple of months.

"This is just the beginning and it is going to be hard work to get back to where I want to be, but this time I think I can be even better."

Kuznetsova, partnering fellow Russian Elena Likhovtseva, was denied another title when they were beaten 6-4, 6-4 in the doubles finals by Spain's Magui Serna and Australian Alicia Molik.

Meanwhile, Hastings Direct are poised to sponsor the tournament for another two years. David Gundlach, chief executive of the East Sussex motor insurers, revealed: "We are delighted to have reached an agreement in principal with the LTA."

Hastings Direct last week announced £100,000 worth of sponsorship for any British woman reaching the fourth round at Wimbledon.