JOIN USSuper Serena has the last laugh
Serena Williams claimed her seventh WTA title of the year with a powerful win over Maria Sharapova in the final of the season-ending WTA Championships in Istanbul on Sunday.
American Williams took the first set 6-4 and followed up in the second by beating the Russian 6-3 with a late barrage of forehand winners.
The victory caps off an impressive 2012 for Williams who has lifted trophies at Wimbledon, Madrid, Charleston, the London Olympics and the U.S. Open.
"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 told(www.wtatennis.com).
Sharapova was full of praise for Williams.
"She had another great serving day against me - I don't think I even had a break point," Sharapova said.
Del Potro wins
Juan Martin del Potro, beaten in his six previous meetings with Roger Federer this year, turned the tables on the world number one to win a memorable Basel ATP final on Sunday.
Two of the three sets went to tie-breaks with the towering Argentine eventually winning 6-4, 6-7 (5-7), 7-6 (7-3) to claim his second title in as many weeks following his win in Vienna one week ago.
The two were meeting for the first time since their epic Olympic Games semifinal when Federer eventually won in a 36-game final set.
There was no quarter given this time, either, in a match featuring long baseline rallies and with Del Potro managing the only service break in the fifth game of the first set.
Ferrer wins Valencia Open
World number five David Ferrer beat unseeded Ukrainian Alexandr Dolgopolov 6-1, 3-6, 6-4 to win the Valencia Open for the third time on Sunday, claiming his sixth ATP World Tour title this year.
The local favourite, pushed all the way in a gruelling third set, climbed up into the stands after winning to embrace his friend and former world number one Juan Carlos Ferrero who retired from the sport earlier in the tournament.
The match was evenly-balanced in the final set with world number 21 Dolgopolov, who defeated defending champion Marcel Granollers in the quarters, making life difficult for Ferrer with his big serves and clever changes in lines of attack.
The pressure seemed to get to the 23-year-old, however, and he netted a straightforward shot on match point.