Final Update – Rogers Cup: Serena Williams

Written by: Staff on 14th August 2011

Final Update - Rogers Cup: Serena Williams

epa01847872 US player Serena Williams reacts after breaking serve against Maria Jose Martinez Sanchez (unseen) of Spain during the fifth day of the 2009 US Open Tennis Championship at the USTA National Tennis Center in Flushing Meadows, New York, USA 04 September 2009. The Open runs through 13 September 2009. EPA/JOHN G. MABANGLO |

ROGERS CUP

Toronto, Canada

August 8-14, 2011

$2,050,000/Premier

Hard/Outdoors

Results – Sunday, August 14, 2011

Singles – Final

Serena Williams (USA) d. (10) Samantha Stosur (AUS) 64 62

Doubles – Final

(3) Huber/Raymond (USA/USA) d. (4) Azarenka/Kirilenko (BLR/RUS) w/o (Azarenka: right hand injury)

Final Facts

– Williams wins the 39th WTA singles title of her career, and second since her return to the tour after nearly a year out with injury and illness. The former world No.1 also won at Stanford two weeks ago, in her third tournament back, and is now 39-14 in finals.

– This is Williams’ second Rogers Cup title but first in a decade. She beat Jennifer Capriati in the 2001 final at Montréal; she was also runner-up in 2000 (ret. in third set vs. Hingis).

– Williams is third among active players for singles titles after her sister Venus (43) and Kim Clijsters (41). The 29-year-old is projected to be ranked somewhere between No.31 and No.35 on Monday’s new rankings.

– The entire Top 20 was present in Toronto. En route to the title, 80th-ranked Williams dropped her opening sets against Zheng Jie and Lucie Safarova, in the third round and quarterfinals respectively. She beat No.4 seed Victoria Azarenka in straight sets in Saturday’s semifinals.

– Although Stosur slips to 2-9 in WTA finals in her career, her efforts this week will see the Australian return to the Top 10 (at No.10) on Monday’s rankings. She had dropped to No.11 this week, having featured in the elite bracket since April 2010.

– Liezel Huber and Lisa Raymond win their first title together on their eleventh outing as a team. Having teamed up at 2011 Charleston they were runners-up at Eastbourne and Stanford (to Azarenka and Kirilenko). Huber, who won this event in 2008 with Cara Black, now has 45 doubles titles to her name; Raymond – who first played the Rogers Cup in 1993 but had never been past the quarterfinals – has 71.

Final Quotes

Serena Williams, 2011 Rogers Cup singles champion:

“I’m so excited. I never expected to do this well. I’m just so happy to be playing again, let alone winning. It’s really cool. I’ve always wanted to hold up this particular trophy. It’s so cute.”