Mauresmo Beats Venus for Antwerp Crown

No. 1 seed Amelie Mauresmo came from a set down to beat Venus Williams 4-6, 7-5, 6-4 in a battle of former No. 1s in the final of the WTA stop in Antwerp Sunday.

The win denied Venus the 1,700-diamond $1.3 million Diamond Games trophy, presented to the player who can win the Antwerp title three times in five years. Venus won Antwerp in 2002-03, and last year missed the event with a knee injury.

"I was so close to winning and it is very frustrating," said Venus, who led by a set and a break, and was also up a break in the third set. "I wanted to win that incredible racket so badly...I felt 100 percent at the start of the match but my stomach muscles started to hurt again after a while, especially when serving. I'll definitely be back next year -- racket or no racket. This is a top-class event, all the players love it."

Mauresmo was happy with the result after a slow start, and with Venus choking in the second set.

"Venus played very well to be up a set and 5-3, but I wasn't playing my best," Mauresmo said. "I was making lots of mistakes and I wasn't as solid as I should have been. At 5-3 maybe she started thinking about winning the title, while I tightened my game up a bit. Then I knew I had to hang in there."

In the doubles final the top-seeded team of Cara Black/Els Callens came from a set down to edge No. 2 seeds Anabel Medina Garrigues/Dinara Safina 3-6, 6-4, 6-4 for their first title of the year.