Date:10/11/2008 URL: http://www.thehindu.com/2008/11/10/stories/2008111061181900.htm

Sport - Tennis

Venus Williams wins WTA Championships

DOHA: Venus Williams won WTA’s elite Sony Ericsson Championships by beating Vera Zvonareva 6-7(5), 6-0, 6-2 in the final of the season-ending event.

The Wimbledon champion took command in the last two sets with powerful serving, smashes and aggressive groundstrokes over her Russian opponent.

Zvonareva even collapsed to the ground in frustration when Williams broke in the final set to go 3-1 up.

“I’m so excited,” Williams said. “That was a hard-fought match, every point, right down to the end.”

Williams’s ranking improved from eighth to sixth while Zvonareva moved from ninth to seventh.

The Doha tournament featured eight players divided into two groups, with the top two in each group advancing to the elimination stage. — AP