Serena captures record 7th Key Biscayne crown
Print Edition
SERENA Williams won a record seventh Key Biscayne title on Saturday when she overcame a slow start to beat Li Na 7-5, 6-1 at the Miami Masters.
Williams surpassed the tournament record of six titles she shared with Andre Agassi. But on a muggy spring afternoon, the No. 1-ranked Williams looked sluggish at the outset and served poorly, and she was broken twice to fall behind 2-5. “At that moment I felt like I had nothing to lose,” Williams said. “I just was able to relax. Whenever I relax, I enjoy myself.”
Li held a set point serving at 5-4, but Williams erased it with a backhand winner.
Williams needed another 21 minutes to pull out the set. The final game of the set went to deuce six times, but she finally won it with a booming backhand that Li couldn’t handle.
Williams ran to her chair with a satisfied scream, her left fist leading the way. She dominated from there, sweeping the final five games, and closed out the victory with a service winner.
After a succession of happy hops, she was twirling, waving, laughing and mugging for the camera — a familiar ritual from a familiar champion.
“I think we’re going to have to rename this tournament,” former top-five player Mary Joe Fernandez said during the trophy ceremony.
It’s a commentary on the yawning gap between Williams and the rest of the women’s tour that she won in straight sets against the No. 2-ranked player while playing less than her best.
Li, who won the Australian Open in January, was at the top of her game for most of the first set. Even so, she couldn’t close it out. “Only one mistake: I think I should go party last night,” Li said. “I don’t think I was playing bad,” Li said. “Maybe she just started playing a little bit better after 5-2 down. I think it was a pretty good match.”
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