Supreme Serena cruises past Venus to take WTA Championships title
Serena Williams won her second career WTA Championships title on
Sunday with a commanding 6-2, 7-6 (7/4) victory over sister Venus, a
triumph which earned her a cool 1.55 million dollars.
Serena, who will finish the season as world number one, also won the
trophy in 2001, making her just the second player after Justine Henin in
2007 to capture two Grand Slam titles as well as the WTA Championship in
the same year.
Serena won all five matches at this event, including a group stage
win over defending champion Venus, and such was her dominance in
Sunday's final that she gave up just seven points on serve.
The 85-minute romp was her 13th victory in 23 meetings with her
sister, a family rivalry stretching back to 1998.
"It feels fantastic. I definitely wasn't expecting to win when I came
here because I hadn't been practicing very well," said Serena.
"I kept fighting against a really tough player but Venus kept hitting
the ball back. That's never easy and it's really frustrating." Venus,
who also lost her Wimbledon title to Serena this year, said she did all
she could in the final.
"I gave 100 percent. It's the end of the season. It's been a good
week and I have no complaints. Serena played a great match. She didn't
make many errors," said Venus.
With the last of her 41 career titles coming nine months ago, it will
be little consolation for the 29-year-old that she will end 2009 at six
in the world, up from seven.
In a symbol of this injury-hit, desert money-spinner, which had seen
four players end their campaigns prematurely through various aches and
pains, both sisters arrived on court nursing knocks.
Serena had her left thigh heavily-strapped while Venus had protection
on her left knee which was treated several times during her semi-final
win over Jelena Jankovic.
But Serena was the fresher of the two in the first set, a legacy of
having spent three and a half hours less on court than her sister in
reaching this stage.
Breaks in the third and seventh games gave the new world number one
the opening set.
Serve dominated the second set before Serena stretched to a 5-2 lead
in the tie-breaker.
An ace set up match point and the title was secured with a crunching
forehand winner.
Victory - the 35th title of her career - added to Serena's capture of
the Australian Open and Wimbledon titles in 2009.
The 4.55 million dollar WTA Championships, intended to showcase the
top eight players in the world, were hit by a series of injuries.
Dinara Safina saw her world number one spot swept away by a flood of
tears which accompanied her withdrawal because of a back injury after
just two games and 12 minutes on court against Jankovic.
Caroline Wozniacki, who overcame crippling cramps to beat Vera
Zvonareva, was forced to quit her semi-final against Serena to avoid
further damage to her thigh and side.
The Danish teenager played 90 matches in 2009.
DOHA, Monday, AFP |