Wozniacki routs Williams for first WTA title
Federer defeates del Potro to take second place on Open era title list
SINGAPORE— Caroline Wozniacki won the biggest title of her career when she beat Venus Williams 6-4, 6-4 in the WTA Finals on Sunday.
The Dane completed the victory with a backhand down the line on a second match point for her 60th match victory of the season.
The 27-year-old Wozniacki’s best previous result at the WTA Finals was reaching the final in 2010.
Williams, who was hoping to win a 50th career title on Sunday, is the only player at this year’s WTA Finals who didn’t win a title during the season.
The 37-year-old Williams appeared in three finals at the five most prestigious tournaments of the season: the Australian Open, Wimbledon, and here in Singapore.
Williams, who won the WTA Finals title in 2008, had won all seven previous matches against Wozniacki.
Wozniacki raced to a 5-0 lead in the second set before Williams mounted a late comeback attempt.
“I’m still shaking,” Wozniacki said. “I was up 5-0 and then Venus started upping her game. She went for her shots, started serving into my body. I’m just so happy I managed to win in the end.”
Swiss Bliss: Roger Federer finally beat Juan Martin del Potro in a Swiss Indoors final, winning 6-7 (5), 6-4, 6-3 Sunday to take sole possession of second place on the Open era title list.
Federer’s 95th ATP tournament win — the eighth in his hometown Basel event where he was once a ballboy — lifted him out of a tie with Ivan Lendl. He still trails Jimmy Connors, who has 109.
The top-seeded Federer succeeded on the same court where he lost the 2012 and 2013 Basel finals to del Potro.
Federer improved to 7-1 in finals this season. They include his previous event, the Shanghai Masters two weeks ago, and Grand Slam titles at the Australian Open and Wimbledon. The victory Sunday lifted Federer to a18-6 lifetime record against del Potro, who has a 3-2 edge over Federer in finals.