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TORONTO (AP) — Eight weeks into her comeback, Serena Williams not
only believes she can be as good as she once was. She can be
better.
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The 29-year-old American star made a pretty good point by capturing
the Rogers Cup in commanding fashion Sunday, dispatching 10th-seed
Samantha Stosur of Australia 6-4, 6-2 for her first Canadian crown
since 2001.
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The victory was just the latest step in a remarkable comeback from
injury and illness that has seen her win two of the four
tournaments she’s played since being sidelined for 49
weeks.
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“Being down the way I’ve been down and coming back, it was cool.
Eight months ago if there was only one tournament I wanted to win,
it was Toronto,” Williams said. “For whatever reason, I really
wanted to win this event. So seeing it come true is really cool.
Just going through so much and being able to win is even more
amazing.”
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Williams, who has 38 titles to her name including 13 Grand Slams,
was sidelined just days after her Wimbledon victory last summer,
first with a foot injury sustained when she stepped on a piece of
glass in a restaurant in Germany, and then with blood clots in her
lungs.
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The American, who won the Stanford Classic two weeks ago, has
talked since her return about a change in philosophy, focusing on
just having fun. But she was all business Sunday in front of a
nearly full Rexall Centre crowd.
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The mighty Williams, wearing the emerald green shirt and black
skirt she’d been sporting all week, had Stosur on her heels
throughout the match with her powerful strokes. She broke the
27-year-old Aussie to go up 5-4 in the opening set with a
blistering backhand, and would break her twice more in the second
in the 1-hour, 17-minute match, winning in emphatic fashion with
her ninth ace.
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Williams was asked if she ever had any doubt during her long layoff
about whether she would be able to return to tennis.
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“Never. Never once. No,” she answered.
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She said she’s looked to Kim Clijsters for inspiration. The Belgian
retired to have a baby, then returned two years later to win the
U.S. Open in her third tournament back.
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“Kim did something really amazing,” Williams said. “I just hope I
can do half as good as she did. She won the Open two years in a row
now. I’m hoping to get close to there, that title.”
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The former top-ranked Williams was unseeded in the Rogers Cup and
is ranked just 80th in the world as she continues her comeback.
She’s projected to rise to No. 31 in the next rankings, and will
definitely be considered a favorite at the upcoming U.S.
Open.
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“I consider myself a favorite to just do what I can do best, if
that means winning the U.S. Open, obviously I want to,” she said.
“I went through a lot of things physically and mentally and
emotionally, and going through so much, I’m just taking it one day
at a time and just going with it.”
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Toronto rapper Drake was among fans in the almost-full Rexall
Stadium, and Williams bristled in the post-match news conference
when asked to respond to rumors about their
relationship.
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“Oh man, really?” Williams said. “So much speculation. It’s
unbelievable. Shocking, really. It’s too much. It’s really too
much. We’re really good friends. I guess you can’t be too close of
a friend nowadays.”
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The player was otherwise in a joking mood, chuckling about her age
and the fact 10 years had passed since she won her other Rogers Cup
title.
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“Yeah, it’s pretty shocking,” she said. “It’s like, ‘Oh my god, 10
years! Am I really 26 now?’ Like wow, it’s crazy.'”
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Williams turns 30 on Sept. 26.
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Williams’ dad and longtime coach, Richard, also was in the crowd,
he and wife Lakeisha holding Serena’s two small, white dogs as she
accepted her racket-shaped crystal trophy.
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And while thunderstorms were forecast for the city Sunday, the
weather held up.
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Stosur lamented the fact the storm didn’t hit during the match,
which would have forced a break in the action.
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“If you are losing, you kind of hope (the rain) does come to maybe
stop and get a bit of a break,” Stosur said.
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The Aussie applauded the progress Williams has made in the eight
weeks she’s been back on the court.
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“She makes it look very easy, and it’s not that easy to just come
back on tour and win two events in your first four tournaments,”
Stosur said. “I think she’s playing very well. To win a tournament
like this, you have to be playing well.”
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