Serena serve: I'm not ready

Testy ... Serena Williams insists she is courteous despite outburst Source: MIC SMITH / AAP

Serena Williams earned her 49th career singles title by rallying to beat Jelena Jankovic in an ill-tempered final of the Family Circle Cup final.

World No.1 Williams and Jankovic got into a testy verbal exchange early in the second set after Williams accused Jankovic of trying to rush her on the service return.

After the exchange, Williams won 12 of the final 14 games.

She has won 22 consecutive clay court matches at WTA Tour events and Fed Cup and 15 straight matches in Charleston. That includes titles last year and 2008.

Bad blood between the two surfaced early in the second set with Jankovic serving after having just won the first set.

Jankovic was in mid-swing on a serve when Williams stopped and held up her racquet indicating she wasn't ready to play the point. The two then verbally sparred with Williams telling Jankovic to "wait until I am ready.''

"Honestly, you have a problem,'' Williams shouted across the net at Jankovic.

Jankovic then protested during the change over to the chair umpire telling him that Williams shouldn't get "special'' treatment.

After the match, Williams insisted she, and Venus, are the most courteous players on the WTA Tour.

"I wasn't ready,'' said Williams.

"I am the most respectful player, other than Venus. I am so respectful to my colleagues.''

Unfortunately that respect doesn't always extend to line judges. At the 2009 US Open Williams once told a line judge she was going to shove a tennis ball down her throat.

View the original article here

Serena serve: I'm not ready

Testy ... Serena Williams insists she is courteous despite outburst Source: MIC SMITH / AAP

Serena Williams earned her 49th career singles title by rallying to beat Jelena Jankovic in an ill-tempered final of the Family Circle Cup final.

World No.1 Williams and Jankovic got into a testy verbal exchange early in the second set after Williams accused Jankovic of trying to rush her on the service return.

After the exchange, Williams won 12 of the final 14 games.

She has won 22 consecutive clay court matches at WTA Tour events and Fed Cup and 15 straight matches in Charleston. That includes titles last year and 2008.

Bad blood between the two surfaced early in the second set with Jankovic serving after having just won the first set.

Jankovic was in mid-swing on a serve when Williams stopped and held up her racquet indicating she wasn't ready to play the point. The two then verbally sparred with Williams telling Jankovic to "wait until I am ready.''

"Honestly, you have a problem,'' Williams shouted across the net at Jankovic.

Jankovic then protested during the change over to the chair umpire telling him that Williams shouldn't get "special'' treatment.

After the match, Williams insisted she, and Venus, are the most courteous players on the WTA Tour.

"I wasn't ready,'' said Williams.

"I am the most respectful player, other than Venus. I am so respectful to my colleagues.''

Unfortunately that respect doesn't always extend to line judges. At the 2009 US Open Williams once told a line judge she was going to shove a tennis ball down her throat.

View the original article here

Serena serve: I'm not ready

Testy ... Serena Williams insists she is courteous despite outburst Source: MIC SMITH / AAP

Serena Williams earned her 49th career singles title by rallying to beat Jelena Jankovic in an ill-tempered final of the Family Circle Cup final.

World No.1 Williams and Jankovic got into a testy verbal exchange early in the second set after Williams accused Jankovic of trying to rush her on the service return.

After the exchange, Williams won 12 of the final 14 games.

She has won 22 consecutive clay court matches at WTA Tour events and Fed Cup and 15 straight matches in Charleston. That includes titles last year and 2008.

Bad blood between the two surfaced early in the second set with Jankovic serving after having just won the first set.

Jankovic was in mid-swing on a serve when Williams stopped and held up her racquet indicating she wasn't ready to play the point. The two then verbally sparred with Williams telling Jankovic to "wait until I am ready.''

"Honestly, you have a problem,'' Williams shouted across the net at Jankovic.

Jankovic then protested during the change over to the chair umpire telling him that Williams shouldn't get "special'' treatment.

After the match, Williams insisted she, and Venus, are the most courteous players on the WTA Tour.

"I wasn't ready,'' said Williams.

"I am the most respectful player, other than Venus. I am so respectful to my colleagues.''

Unfortunately that respect doesn't always extend to line judges. At the 2009 US Open Williams once told a line judge she was going to shove a tennis ball down her throat.

View the original article here

Serena serve: I'm not ready

Testy ... Serena Williams insists she is courteous despite outburst Source: MIC SMITH / AAP

Serena Williams earned her 49th career singles title by rallying to beat Jelena Jankovic in an ill-tempered final of the Family Circle Cup final.

World No.1 Williams and Jankovic got into a testy verbal exchange early in the second set after Williams accused Jankovic of trying to rush her on the service return.

After the exchange, Williams won 12 of the final 14 games.

She has won 22 consecutive clay court matches at WTA Tour events and Fed Cup and 15 straight matches in Charleston. That includes titles last year and 2008.

Bad blood between the two surfaced early in the second set with Jankovic serving after having just won the first set.

Jankovic was in mid-swing on a serve when Williams stopped and held up her racquet indicating she wasn't ready to play the point. The two then verbally sparred with Williams telling Jankovic to "wait until I am ready.''

"Honestly, you have a problem,'' Williams shouted across the net at Jankovic.

Jankovic then protested during the change over to the chair umpire telling him that Williams shouldn't get "special'' treatment.

After the match, Williams insisted she, and Venus, are the most courteous players on the WTA Tour.

"I wasn't ready,'' said Williams.

"I am the most respectful player, other than Venus. I am so respectful to my colleagues.''

Unfortunately that respect doesn't always extend to line judges. At the 2009 US Open Williams once told a line judge she was going to shove a tennis ball down her throat.

View the original article here

Serena becomes oldest world No.1

Serena Williams with a trophy given to her by the WTA Tour for reclaiming the world No.1 ranking. Source:AFP

Sam Stosur was eliminated at the Qatar Open on Friday as Serena Williams became the oldest woman to claim the world No.1 ranking.

The Australian was beaten 6-2 6-4 in her quarter-final by Maria Sharapova, a two-time champion in Doha.

The day, though, belonged to Williams, who was in tears after her historic 3-6 6-3 7-5 victory over Petra Kvitova.

Williams, 31, will take over from Australian Open champion Victoria Azarenka as the world's best player on Monday, returning to the top spot for the first time in over two years.

Chris Evert at 30 was the previous oldest world No.1.

Williams was 4-1 down before reeling off six of the last seven games, taking the match with an ace down the middle.

Her relieved smile, heavenward gesture and tears in her moment of triumph gave lie to her earlier statement that the number one position no longer mattered.

''I am so sensitive nowadays - I am always crying, but I never thought I would be here again you know,'' said Williams in a reference to the pulmonary embolism from which she suffered in 2011, threatening her life as well as her career.

''When I was down I heard people cheering for me and I don't get that all the time. I never thought I would be number one again.''

Williams, who faces Sharapova in the semi-finals, will be the world No.1 for a 124th career week - a total only bettered by Steffi Graf (377), Martina Navratilova (332), Evert (260), Martina Hingis (209) and Monica Seles (178).

Earlier, Australian Open champion Victoria Azarenka defeated Sara Errani 6-2 6-2.

The Belarusian's surprisingly emphatic win over the Italian means she has dropped a mere nine games in three matches.

Azarenka's semi-final will be a sequel to last year's contentious meeting with Agnieszka Radwanska.

The world No.4 from Poland came from 0-3 and 3-5 down in the second set to win 6-2 7-5 against Caroline Wozniacki, the former world No.1 from Denmark.

''She's a great fighter and I'm just happy to get through to the semi-finals again here,'' said Azarenka, who has established an affinity for the sea air, gentle winter sunshine and slowish hard courts in Qatar.

''I came here to practise before the Australia Open, and I shall be back here to do the same in December.''

View the original article here

Serena becomes oldest world No.1

Serena Williams with a trophy given to her by the WTA Tour for reclaiming the world No.1 ranking. Source:AFP

Sam Stosur was eliminated at the Qatar Open on Friday as Serena Williams became the oldest woman to claim the world No.1 ranking.

The Australian was beaten 6-2 6-4 in her quarter-final by Maria Sharapova, a two-time champion in Doha.

The day, though, belonged to Williams, who was in tears after her historic 3-6 6-3 7-5 victory over Petra Kvitova.

Williams, 31, will take over from Australian Open champion Victoria Azarenka as the world's best player on Monday, returning to the top spot for the first time in over two years.

Chris Evert at 30 was the previous oldest world No.1.

Williams was 4-1 down before reeling off six of the last seven games, taking the match with an ace down the middle.

Her relieved smile, heavenward gesture and tears in her moment of triumph gave lie to her earlier statement that the number one position no longer mattered.

''I am so sensitive nowadays - I am always crying, but I never thought I would be here again you know,'' said Williams in a reference to the pulmonary embolism from which she suffered in 2011, threatening her life as well as her career.

''When I was down I heard people cheering for me and I don't get that all the time. I never thought I would be number one again.''

Williams, who faces Sharapova in the semi-finals, will be the world No.1 for a 124th career week - a total only bettered by Steffi Graf (377), Martina Navratilova (332), Evert (260), Martina Hingis (209) and Monica Seles (178).

Earlier, Australian Open champion Victoria Azarenka defeated Sara Errani 6-2 6-2.

The Belarusian's surprisingly emphatic win over the Italian means she has dropped a mere nine games in three matches.

Azarenka's semi-final will be a sequel to last year's contentious meeting with Agnieszka Radwanska.

The world No.4 from Poland came from 0-3 and 3-5 down in the second set to win 6-2 7-5 against Caroline Wozniacki, the former world No.1 from Denmark.

''She's a great fighter and I'm just happy to get through to the semi-finals again here,'' said Azarenka, who has established an affinity for the sea air, gentle winter sunshine and slowish hard courts in Qatar.

''I came here to practise before the Australia Open, and I shall be back here to do the same in December.''

View the original article here