Fourth seed Dinara Safina overpowered fellow Russian Svetlana Kuznetsova 6-1 6-3 to win the Pan Pacific Open title yesterday.

After recording her fourth tournament victory of 2008, this year's French Open runner-up is poised to climb to a career-high third in the world when the rankings are published today.

"God knows how far I can get!" Safina, a recent US Open semi-finalist, told reporters.

"I've played the best tennis I've ever played this week."

The triumph was also the 22-year-old's third Tier One title of the year following wins in Berlin and Montreal.

Safina came out with all guns blazing, breaking for a 3-1 lead with a lunging backhand volley before closing out the first set with a blistering ace.

Fifth seed Kuznetsova had no answer to her opponent's power and Safina moved in for the kill, whipping a forehand across court to secure the decisive break in the fifth game of the second set.

As she walked off court, Safina pulled out her mobile phone and began exchanging text messages with her family, although not with big brother Marat Safin, the former men's number one.

"We haven't really spoken for about two weeks," she said with a laugh.