(October 28, 2012) Serena Williams nailed 40 winners past Maria Sharapova to win the WTA Championships in Istanbul on Sunday 6-4, 6-3. Williams has now won 48 of her last 50 matches and seven titles this year.
“I would say it’s pretty much the best season of my career, a little bit of a slow start though, so I have to give it to 2002 – but there’s always 2013,” Williams said.
“I really wanted to win and win this title and put a little pressure on myself, ” Williams told media.
“I wanted it so bad but I didn’t want to say it. I’m really excited that I was able to win it. I feel really good about ending the year.
“Like it really was important for me to end the year with this title in particular, so I feel really good about it.”
This is the third time that the No. 3 Williams has won the WTA Year-End event – she took the title in 2001 and 2009.
“I actually thought about the last time we played at the WTA Championships, and she won, and she’s also ranked ahead of me right now, so I really had nothing to lose,” said Williams. “I feel great right now. This was exactly my dream and I’m so happy I was able to achieve it. And the Turkish fans here are so amazing, so nice and so supportive – I’ve never seen so many signs with my name on them. I can’t even explain how that makes me feel.”
“She had another great serving day against me – I don’t think I even had a break point,” said Sharapova. “Maybe it was partly me not doing enough on the returns and partly she was serving well – a few moments when it was 30-all or 15-all, I didn’t get a good return in. But that’s one of the reasons she’s such a great champion and has had a tremendous amount of success in her career.”
Williams finishes the year at 59-4 and No. 3 in the world.
“I had such a good year winning Wimbledon and US Open and stuff, Olympics, you know, it’s like a heavy favorite going in to win this title, so for me it was really important,” Williams said. “I mean, for my own sanity, so to say, I really wanted it, even though I didn’t need it.
“Like I don’t think I needed to do anything else this year or any other year, but I really wanted to end on a good note.”