Top

Serena sweeps to Toronto win


 

Originally published on: 20/12/11 10:12

Two weeks after winning her first piece of silverware back from a full year away from the game, Serena Williams was at it again in Toronto.

Sweeping through a field that contained every one of the world’s top 20 women, the world No.80 defied her lowly ranking to defeat Samantha Stosur 6-4 6-2 in the final and secure her 39th career title.

“I’m so excited. I never expected to do this well,” said Williams. “I’m just so happy to be playing again, let alone winning. It’s cool.”

It’s the second time the 29-year-old American has won the Rogers Cup, having picked up her first title in Canada a full ten years ago after edging out Jennifer Capriati in three sets.

This time out she was only truly tested for eight games, breaking for a 5-4 lead in the first set before steaming through the second and sending down four aces in typically brutish fashion in the decisive game.

Stosur, who defeated French Open champion Li Na en route to her second final of 2011, admitted she was unable to raise her game to the level required to defeat the 13-time Grand Slam champion.

“For me to be able to win, I had to play close to my best tennis and I wasn’t quite at that mark,” admitted the 27-year-old Australian, who couldn’t shake the memory of her lapse in concentration in the ninth game of the match.

“At 4-all I had 40-15 up on serve. You never want to lose serve, but especially being up in the game and holding quite comfortably until that point, it’s very disappointing to lose that.

“I stepped up to the line every single time and tried to win every single point, but once an opponent gets a certain lead, sometimes it really boosts them.”

Now get the WORLD’S BEST TENNIS MAGAZINE here


Tim Farthing, Tennishead Editorial Director & Owner, has been a huge tennis fan his whole life. He's a tennis journalist and entrepreneur as well as playing tennis to a national standard. He also helps manage his local club and volunteers for his local tennis organisation. He's a specialist in content about the administration of professional tennis and tennis coaching for all levels.