Venus Wins First Pro Title
Venus Williams won her first COREL WTA title by defeating Joannette Kruger in straight sets Sunday in the final of the IGA Tennis Classic.
Williams had three service breaks in each set as she won 6-3, 6-2. Williams, the biggest hitter on the women's tour, had just one ace in the finals.
"This is one I will probably always remember," Williams said. "I can say it all started back in Oklahoma City."
Williams took a 30-minute break after the match and joined her sister, Serena, in the doubles finals. There, the two made quick work of Catalina Cristea of Romania and Kristine Kunce of Australia 7-5, 6-2.
Kruger said Saturday's 3-6, 6-3, 6-4 semifinals victory over Sarah Pitkowski took a lot out of her.
"I just didn't have any fire in my legs," the South African said. "I missed too many balls today. I would have liked for it to have been a closer match. I didn't play my best tennis."
Williams, 17, gets $27,000 for winning the $164,250 Tier III event. It was the third finals appearance for the third-seeded player from Palm Beach Gardens, Fla.
She lost to Martina Hingis in last year's U.S. Open final, and to Arantxa Sanchez Vicario in a tournament in Sydney, Australia, in January.
Williams beat Kruger, ranked 27th, by a similar 6-2, 6-3 score in last year's U.S. Open in their only previous meeting.
Williams knocked off top-seeded and No. 2-ranked Lindsay Davenport 6-7 (5-7), 6-2, 6-3 in the semifinals Saturday night.
"I was more ready for the situation of being in the finals this time," Williams said."The first time (vs. Hingis in the U.S. Open), I had never been in the finals before. Then in Sydney, I was tired and could not get my feet to go."
She said there was no letdown after beating Davenport in what many felt would elevate the winner to the title.
"It's never the finals until it's the finals," Williams said. "There's no letdown for me. When I lose it's because of the other player."
Williams was ranked 14th coming into the tournament and is expected to move up to No. 12 in the next WTA ratings.
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