4 Aug 2014

Serena wins WTA Stanford title

3:52 pm on 4 August 2014

The world No.1 tennis player Serena Williams has climbed out of an early hole to beat third-seeded German Angelique Kerber 7-6 (7-1) 6-3 to win the WTA Stanford crown in the US.

The top-seeded American, playing her first tournament since a disappointing Wimbledon campaign, got her hardcourt build-up to the US Open off to a good start and will try to carry the momentum into next week's tournament at Montreal.

Williams collected her third Stanford trophy and her fourth title of 2014 but the 17-time Grand Slam champion has struggled in majors this year, failing to make it past the fourth round in the Australian Open, French Open or Wimbledon.

She'll have her last chance of the year to add another major title to her resume at the US Open, which starts at Flushing Meadows on August 25.

Elsewhere two-time Grand Slam champion Svetlana Kuznetsova snapped a four-year WTA title drought by outlasting Japan's Kurumi Nara 6-3, 4-6, 6-4 to win the WTA Washington Open.

And Wimbledon semi-finalist Milos Raonic captured his sixth ATP title at the Washington Open, defeating Vasek Pospisil 6-1 6-4 in the tour's first all-Canadian final.