Sport
Serena Williams beats Maria Sharapova to win Sony Open
Sharapova made 80 percent of her first serves early on but finished at 63. Williams converted all seven break-point chances and had a 35-13 advantage in winners. But Williams’ standards are high, and in her postmatch news conference, she sounded as though she had lost.
”Today wasn’t my day, I don’t think,” she said. ”Maria played really the best I have seen her play, and I think she was moving unbelievable, and she was hitting winners from everywhere.” It wasn’t Williams’ first test this week. She trailed Dominika Cibulkova 6-2, 4-1 before rallying in the fourth round, and was annoyed to hit six double-faults in the quarterfinals.
”I’m happy to be holding the championship,” she said. ”It’s definitely not my best tournament. I think everyone here can agree. But those are the moments that count – when you can still come out on top.”
She’ll remain No. 1 and Sharapova No. 2 next week. Williams is the first No. 1-seeded woman to win the title since she was champion in 2004. Williams’ other titles at Key Biscayne came in 2002, ’03, ’07 and ’08.
”It’s tough to lose in the final stage, because you work so hard to get there,” Sharapova said. ”But the more I give myself this opportunity, the better chance I have of winning.”
Copyright 2013 The Associated Press
