April 3, 2004 Super Serena Completes Perfect Comeback MIAMI, FL - It's highly unlikely Serena Williams could have asked for a better comeback script. Six matches, six weeks. Three straight Miami titles. Thirteen-match win streak. Unbeaten since Roland Garros last June. Serena's 50-minute, 61 61 dissection of No.5 seed Elena Dementieva on Saturday completed an astonishing return to the WTA Tour for the 22-year-old. Sidelined since winning Wimbledon last July, having undergone knee surgery in August, Williams dropped just one set en route to victory at Crandon Park, her 24th career singles title. Williams became only the second woman ever to win three consecutive Miami crowns in the 20-year history of the event (the first being Steffi Graf in 1994-1996). "I feel really happy... just really excited," said Williams. "I'm real happy that I was able to come back and take a title. It's great." Serena became only the second big-name player in the past decade to come back after an extended break from the Tour and taste immediate title success. Monica Seles returned to competition at the 1995 Canadian Open after her 28-month break and dropped just 14 games en route to the title. "I have a much better idea as to where I am today," said Williams of her game a fortnight into her comeback. "Two weeks ago I was really nervous to come out here and play for the first time in eight months. I'm just thinking, 'Gosh, I'm really nervous. I want to get out.' But at the same time I was really, really anxious to come back and get out here." Dementieva, who admitted to a touch of tiredness in Saturday's championship match, was nonetheless pleased with her stellar results this past fortnight, which included a quarterfinal win over Serena's older Venus, also a three-time Miami winner. Dementieva was aiming to become only the fifth woman to beat both Williams sisters in the same event. "Maybe I didn't play my best today," said Dementieva. "But I'm glad I lost so easy because now I'm going to work better on my serve, I'm going to improve my game. "She's a great player. (It's) just amazing how well she played after this (long) break." While the winners tally was fairly even (12 for Williams, 11 for Dementieva), the two most telling statistics were unforced errors (Dementieva's 23 to Williams's 14) and Dementieva's second serve success rate. The Russian won an abysmal five percent (or 1 of 19) points on her ever-suspect second delivery, with Williams repeatedly punishing the weak and short serves. "I realise if I want to win a tournament, even a Grand Slam, I have to be stronger," observed Dementieva. "I have to play better in a final and not like today. I don't need to be tired, in this final round, the most important moment of the tournament." -- ---禪心已作沾泥絮，莫向春風舞鷓鴣--- --

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