Serena, Venus to Meet in Doha WTA Finals
Serena and Venus Williams will meet for the 2009 Doha WTA championship title on Sunday. Serena advanced after Caroline Wozniacki retired down 6-4, 0-1. Venus’s road much tougher as she needed three sets to turn away Jelena Jankovic 5-7, 6-3, 6-4. ADHEREL
Venus trailed 2-0 in the final set against Serb but quickly turned the tables breaking Jankovic three straight times to pull ahead 5-3 and eventual take the match.
“It’s wonderful, I’m so excited,” said Venus who won Doha last year. “It’s the way I wanted to end my year.”
Serena then followed and set up an all-sister final when Wozniacki, who had been hampered by injuries all week, retired with a left ab strain.
“She’s been struggling throughout the tournament,” Serena said. “Just to come out today and try to put up a fight for the crowd, it’s so good to see a face like hers on the Sony Ericsson WTA Tour. She’s an incredible fighter.”
Serena won the year-end title in 2001 and has been runner-up twice.
Serena leads the all-Williams rivalry with Venus, 12-10, winning their last three meetings this year at Miami, Wimbledon and here in Doha a few days ago when Serena saved a match point in a thrilling third set tiebreak win.
“I’m just taking it one day at a time,” Venus added. “I’ve never done so well in the round robin of the Sony Ericsson Championships, so I’m really excited. I came into this week hoping to do my best and here I am. I’m literally giving everything I have. I think I’m gonna wiped out by the end of this.”
Regardless of outcome, Serena will overtake Dinara Safina and finish as the No. 1 ranked player for 2009, her second such year-end honor.
Earlier in the day Serena announced that she will not be participating in next week’s Fed Cup final against Italy. Williams will be replaced by Vania King who will join Melanie Oudin, Liezel Huber and Alexa Glatch when the U.S. travels to Italy for the final on November 7.
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