Serena Williams rebuffs Li Na's challenge to finish 2013 in style
A relieved Serena Williams lifts the WTA Championship title aloft after beating Li Na in a three set final.
STORY HIGHLIGHTS
- Serena Williams wins 2013 WTA Championships
- Fights off strong challenge from China's Li Na
- Top seed Williams wins 2-6 6-3 6-0
- 78th career title for American superstar
The World No.1 dug deep
from a set down and three all in the second against China's Li Na to
reel off nine straight games to clinch the prestigious title, 2-6 6-3
6-0.
"I can't believe I won. I
was so tired. Honestly, did I really win? Because she played so well,"
Williams said in her post match interview.
"I'm just overjoyed, to
be honest," Williams added. "It's really awesome. It's such a special
moment. To finish the year No.1 in the world and win this title after 40
years of the WTA, it means even more."
Williams had to grind out
a three set semifinal win over Jelena Jankovic Saturday and fell a set
down to her fourth seeded Chinese opponent in the final as the tiredness
set in.
Williams pulled 3-0 ahead in the second set, only for Li to win three straight games to level.
A lesser player might
have crumbled, but the 17-time grand slam champion took her game to
another level and finished it off with her 30th winner of the match.
Victory took her prize
money for the season to a record $12,385, 572 and at 32 years and one
month she is the oldest winner at the end of season championship.
It was her 78th WTA
career title and she shows no sign of letting up in her pursuit of
records with the first grand slam of the 2014 season in Australia next
January firmly in her sights
Li has also finished the season strongly, the first Chinese player to make the WTA Championships final.
She is set to move to
her hightest ranking of World No.3 in the new list and showed enough in
the opening set and a half to give her hope of further grand slam
success to add to her 2011 French Open triumph.
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