World No. 1 Dinara Safina captured the Banka Koper Slovenia Open 2009 title in a thrilling three-set tie. 23-year-old Russian defeated Sara Errani of Italy, ranked 38th on the WTA rankings, 5:7 6:1 7:5.

Safina struggled with her service in the opening game of the match. She served two double faults. Errani used the fourth break to take the lead 1-0. But Safina managed to break her back in the next game, levelled the result 1-1 and without much a do took the lead 2-1 in the third game. Errani used the time break to call her coach and thus took advantage of the new WTA rule that allows on-court coaching during the time breaks. The advice of the coach obviously did her well as she levelled the result to 2-2. But it was Safina who was dominating the play with powerful strokes from the baseline. In the fifth game Safina served another two double faults and thus allowed Errani to break her for the second time and take the 3-2 lead. The Italian could not hold on to her serve as Safina regrouped herself and levelled 3-3. After Errani made a couple of unforced errors on her forehand crosscourt, Safina took the lead 4-3. 22-year-old Italian broke Safina once again in the ninth game to take the 5-4 lead as Safina served her fifth double fault. Errani lost her service game once again allowing Safina to level 5-5. In the eleventh game Errani changed her tactics hitting some great forehand volleys what resulted in another breaking of Safina's serve, 6-5. The first set was decided in the tie-break. Sara Errani used the second set point with an amazing forehand passing shot to clinch the first set 7:6 (5) in 75 minutes.

Safina powered her way into the second set looking like all her anger from losing the first one accumulated in her. She broke Errani twice to take the 3-0 lead. After losing two service games the Italian once again decided to ask her coach Pablo Lozano for another advice. But it was of little help as Safina swiftly took the second set 6:1 in mere 32 minutes.

At the beginning of the third set Errani started showing first signs of fatigue and was soon trailing 0-2. Nevertheless she managed to break Safina back. Before the start of the fourth game Errani took medical time out due to right hip strain, while Safina asked her coach Zeljko Krajan for advice. The Italian managed to level the result to 2-2 and before the fifth game she called for the help of her coach for the third time in match meaning that this was Pablo Lozano's last on-court advice according to the WTA on-court coaching rules. After that she managed to break Safina in the seventh game with a backhand return down the line and take the 4-3 lead. Although she failed to keep her service game, she broke Safina right back and was serving for the match. Safina, who made 57 unforced errors, fought hard to stay in the match, broke Errani and took the 6-5 lead. After two hours and 53 minutes Safina used the second match point to capture the Banka Koper Slovenia Open title in her debut in Portoroz.

The final singles match was the second longest match of the event lasting 173 minutes.