September 26, 2004 Serena Wins 25th Title on 23rd Birthday BEIJING, China - Serena Williams celebrated her 23rd birthday with her 25th career title on Sunday at the China Open. The birthday girl - and top seed in Beijing - won her first title in more than five months on Sunday, needing three sets to end the 14-match winning streak of US Open champion Svetlana Kuznetsova, defeating the No.2 seed, 46 75 64. The match lasted 2 hours, 10 minutes. "I've never won a tournament on my birthday before," Williams said. "Even though I don't celebrate, it was a good present. I just didn't want to give up. I didn't want to lose." Williams was down 4-5 with Kuznetsova holding a pair of match points, but the former world No.1 was able to hold off the Russian to even the match and eventually force a deciding third set. "Fortunately I was able to hold my serve at 4-5 in the second set to even it at 5-all," Williams said. "Even though she had a couple of match points, I never gave up. It was encouraging that I could win without playing my best. I have to work on my double faults." Williams' last title came in Miami back in April and has now won 25 career singles titles, making her just the 17th player in the Open Era to collect that many titles. With the win, Williams snapped her longest title drought since the beginning of 1999. Prior to this week, Serena had not won a title in the last eight tournaments she had contested, falling at Amelia Island, Charleston, Rome, Roland Garros, Wimbledon, Los Angeles, San Diego and the US Open. The last time she had not won a WTA Tour title in as many tournaments was before she won her first title at 1999 Paris [Indoors], where she had contested 15 main draw events, having yet to win her first Tour singles title. Since winning in Paris and taking that first title, Williams had not gone longer than four tournaments without winning another championship. Williams improved to 25-9 in career WTA Tour finals, while Kuznetsova falls to 5-4. Williams defeated all Russian players at the Beijing event, defeating Dinara Safina, followed by Nadia Petrova, Vera Zvonareva and then Kuznetsova. Williams overcame a rough start in her first match of the week against Safina, trailing 3-1 in the third before coming back for the win. She then got a break in the quarterfinals when Petrova retired midway through the second set with an ankle sprain before rolling past Zvonareva in the semifinals. This was the second time Williams and Kuznetsova have met and the American has now won both encounters. Williams also won a quarterfinal match on clay earlier this year in May, defeating the Russian, 75 60. The meeting between Williams and Kuznetsova was also the eighth time this year a tournament's No.1 and No.2 seed have done battle in the final. With Williams' victory, the No.1 seed has now won seven of those eight matches. Lindsay Davenport's victory against Venus Williams in Stanford has been the only time this year a No.2 has defeated a No.1 in the final. Kuznetsova's run finally came to a close in Beijing, after much success over the last four weeks. Two weeks ago, she shocked most of the tennis world by winning her first Grand Slam title after defeating countrywoman Elena Dementieva in the US Open final. She then decided to honor her prior commitments in Bali and Beijing, winning the Wismilak International title in Indonesia and reaching the final in Beijing. "I'm not used to losing so I'm pretty disappointed," Kuznetsova said. "Thought the most important thing was that I fought hard, never gave up. I was tired and I missed a couple of forehands and lost my two match points." Kuznetsova said she was pleased that she kept herself in the match, despite blowing a pair of match points and fighting against a crowd that was heavily in Williams' corner. "I made her earn it, I didn't give it away," Kuznetsova said. "I made her work and the crowd was on her side, but I didn't let that bother me. I am used to that. I'm sure the Chinese fans will learn to appreciate all the players once they get to know us." In doubles, the team of Emmanuelle Gagliardi and Dinara Safina won their first title as a team, defeating the South American combination of Gisela Dulko and Maria Vento-Kabchi, 64 64. Gagliardi and Safina were playing together for the first time this week and made it through the tournament with dropping just one set. The win was the second career doubles title for Gagliardi, who won her first title earlier this year in Estoril (w/Husarova) and also reached another final in Cincinnati (w/Groenefeld). Safina won her first career doubles title in her second career final. She reached the final in Sydney earlier in 2004 with partner Meghann Shaughnessy. Dulko and Vento-Kabchi reached the final in their second tournament as a team - and first in a WTA Tour tournament. The South American duo first paired together back in 2002 at an ITF circuit event in Eugene, Oregon where they reached the quarterfinals. Dulko has one previous doubles title, while Vento-Kabchi has won three doubles titles in her career. -- ---禪心已作沾泥絮，莫向春風舞鷓鴣--- --

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