Mercedes adds to Masters backing

 

April 30

Associated Press

 

Mercedes-Benz has upgraded its corporate involvement at the Masters by becoming one of three global sponsors, allowing the German-based automaker to air television ads during the limited commercial space in domestic telecasts.

Augusta National chairman Billy Payne said Tuesday that Mercedes-Benz will join AT&T and IBM as the tournament’s three main sponsors.

Mercedes replaces ExxonMobil, which had been a global sponsor since 2005.

The Masters kept its total sponsorship to five companies — three global sponsors and two international partners. Mercedes had been a partner since 2008 until elevating its sponsorship status. Payne said UPS has signed on as the other partner, joining Rolex.

“The Masters is the most prestigious golf tournament in the world. It is a great honor for Mercedes-Benz to now be associated with the Masters Tournament as one of the three global sponsors,” said Joachim Schmidt, the company’s executive vice president of sales and marketing.

Terms of the agreements were not disclosed.

Unlike other tournaments, sponsors of the Masters do not use logos anywhere on the golf course. Some of the client entertainment takes place in permanent chalets tucked well behind the trees left of the 10th fairway.

The Masters went two years without corporate sponsors during the initial dispute in 2003 over all-male membership. The tournament was commercial-free for two years, with the club picking up the tab for the broadcast fees.

Sponsorship returned in 2005 with AT&T, IBM and ExxonMobil as the main three. The Masters only has four minutes of commercials for every hour.

Last fall, Augusta National accepted its first two female members, former Secretary of State Condoleezza Rice and South Carolina financier Darla Moore. Both were at the Masters this month in their green jackets.

“The relationships we form are important to our commitment of continuous improvement, and we sincerely appreciate the longtime assistance and enthusiasm of ExxonMobil for their support,” Payne said. “We now look forward to growing our associations with Mercedes-Benz and UPS, two globally recognized brands that also share a passion for the Masters and the tournament’s sustained success.”

ExxonMobil did not say why its sponsorship of the Masters ended.

“ExxonMobil has concluded its advertising sponsorship of the Masters tournament after nine successful years,” spokesman Alan Jeffers said in an email. “ExxonMobil continually evaluates and modifies our sponsorship and advertising requirements based on business needs.”

Mercedes-Benz has been active in sports sponsorship since the 1980s. It shifted its marketing strategy in recent years, ending its title sponsorship of the season opener in Kapalua and signing deals to become the official car of the PGA Championship and to become an international partner with the Masters. Adam Scott

became the first Australian to win the Masters this year. He already had a sponsorship deal with Mercedes.

 

Vijay Singh avoids suspension

 

April 30

ESPN.com

 

VJ Singh who earlier this year admitted to taking a banned substance, will not face any sanctions after the World Anti-Doping Agency (WADA) determined that the use of deer antler spray is no long considered prohibitive.

Singh, 50, who has three major championships among his 34 PGA Tour victories and is a member of the World Golf.

Finchem said during a news conference on Tuesday at Quail Hollow Golf Club that Singh had been sanctioned in February, with his case under appeal. The case was dropped, Finchem said, due to WADA’s findings.

After conducting tests on the product Singh admitted to taking, WADA determined that it no longer considers the use of deer-antler spray to be prohibited unless there is a positive test result.

Singh did not test positive for IGF-1 - the tour has no test for it — a banned substance found in deer-antler spray. He admitted taking it, which by the tour’s rules is treated the same as a positive test.

“Based on this new information, and given WADA’s lead role in interpreting the prohibited list, the tour deemed it only fair to no longer treat Mr. Singh’s use of deer-antler spray as a violation of the Tour’s anti-doping program,” Finchem said.

Singh first admitted to taking the supplement in a Jan. 28 story that appeared on SI.com. He said at the time he was not aware it might contain IGF-1, a growth factor that is listed on both the WADA and PGA Tour prohibited lists.

The tour had warned its players about deer-antler spray in August 2011, but there is no test available in routine blood testing. At this time, the tour only conducts random urine tests. But an admission is still a violation of the policy, and Finchem said a sanction was issued to Singh on Feb. 19.

According to the tour’s doping policy, that could have meant a suspension of up to one year, although Finchem would not disclose what penalty was initially imposed. Within a week, Singh appealed the sanction and continued to play on the PGA Tour, but has not granted any interviews since releasing a statement in January.

Singh is entered in the Wells Fargo Championship but declined comment to a PGA Tour media official Tuesday afternoon. Finchem said he received word from WADA on Friday.

“We’re talking about a determination that was made by scientists at WADA that relate to the consumption through deer-antler spray of a technically violative substance, IGF-1, but in looking at it, the scientists concluded it resulted in infinitesimal amounts actually being taken into the recipient’s body,” Finchem said. “Amounts that couldn’t be distinguished even if you had an accurate test with the amounts that you might take into your body from milk, et cetera.

“In a case where, for whatever reason, you managed to take in enough IGF 1 so that it did trigger a positive reading … it’s not possible today. Because a positive reading means that you’re surpassing a certain level. There hasn’t been any level ever set.”

Finchem said that if a suitable test comes along, players would be responsible if they were deemed to have too much IGF-1 in their system, based on WADA guidelines.

Earlier this week, Hall of Famer Greg Norman described golf’s drug testing program as a “disgrace” and called for blood testing, which is the only way to test for HGH.

.Finchem would not comment on Norman’s remarks directly, but said at this time, the tour does not feel there is a reliable blood test it can use.

“I do believe that with an awful lot of people there is a misunderstanding about the ease of access to a test for these particular small group of substances,” he said. “Millions of dollars have been invested in recent years to try to get to a point in the team sports, for example, where there have been issues and a range of things, so that you can have a test that’s meaningful.

“That is the problem with the test is you’re going to give a test and then based on the results of that test you’re going to take somebody out of the sport. So you’ve got to make sure of what you’re doing, so it has to be reliable. That test is not available today. You can’t go out next week and start doing something. The science isn’t right yet.”

Per the tour’s anti-doping guidelines, a suspension or penalty is only announced if one is levied. Also per policy, Finchem would not say if Singh faces any disciplinary measures, such as a fine, because of the tour’s warning against taking deer-antler spray.

 

Wimbledon to increase prize money

 

April 23

Associated Press

 

This year’s singles champions at Wimbledon will each receive $2.4 million after the All England Club increased overall prize money by a record 40 percent for the biggest total payout in tennis history.

Wimbledon also announced Tuesday that it plans to build a retractable roof on Court No. 1 in the latest move to combat the rain delays that affected the tournament over the years.

Prize money will total $34.4 million, an increase of $9.9 million from last year. The club called it the largest single increase and biggest total prize fund in the history of professional tennis.

The singles winners will get a significant increase on the $1.75 million that Roger Federer and Serena Williams picked up last year.

The prize money increase also helps players who lose in the early rounds or in qualifying for the grass-court championships, which will be held June 24-July 7.

Prize money will go up 60 percent for singles players who exit in the first three rounds. A first-round loser will earn $35,800, up from $22,100 in 2012.

The purse for qualifying will increase by 41 percent, while doubles players will receive a 22 percent increase.

Wimbledon chief executive Richard Lewis said he wants to prevent players feeling “less satisfied with the compensation.”

“The risk you run eventually by failing to invest is you get into a downward spiral — the championships at the moment are in an upward spiral,” Lewis said. “That’s why we have a track record of investing and we will continue to invest.

“One of the reasons (players) feel like it’s a fantastic event is because we treat them very well.”

The soaring payout comes amid wider economic problems in Britain.

“We absolutely understand we are not immune to what’s going on in this country — quite the opposite — we fully understand that,” Lewis told The Associated Press. “But equally it’s important that we invest in the event and we invest based upon the success of the championships.

“We get a good income from our commercial partners, our corporate hospitality, our TV, broadcast contracts, as well as the fans who come and support on the grounds.”

Meanwhile, the club said it intends to have a roof installed over Court No. 1 in time for the 2019 tournament. A retractable roof has been in place on Centre Court since 2009 to cope with rain, with indoor matches sometimes stretching late into the night.

“We are not going to go to being a night event,” Lewis said. “We are not going to have two sessions. There is no imperative to have more than two roofs.”

 

Maria Sharapova, Porsche Reach Deal

 

April 22

ESPN.com

 

German car maker Porsche on Monday made what some might consider a surprising announcement: Its first global endorser would be a woman.

The brand, which is dominated by male buyers, chose tennis player Maria Sharapova  to be the face of its company for the next three years.

“This says a lot about her longevity and her brand power,” said her agent, Max Eisenbud. “To have a company like Porsche that is so high-end and so meticulous to allow her to stand next to their car says a lot.”

Sharapova was back in Stuttgart, where the car maker is based, to defend her title in the Porsche Tennis Grand Prix. After winning there last year and winning a white Porsche 911, she went on to win the French Open. More than 88 percent of 911 buyers are men, according to research by automotive data website Edmunds.com.

“Maria is the perfect choice,” said Porsche CEO Matthias Mueller. “Her profile and charisma are an ideal fit for Porsche.”

Sharapova, the No. 2 women’s tennis player in the world, makes about $20 million a year in endorsements, more money than any other female athlete. Part of her allure is that she appeals to both men and women.

Sharapova has deals with Nike, Cole Haan, Evian, Tag Heuer and Samsung.

She is also turning into a candy mogul with her Sugarpova brand that sells gummy candy and gumballs. Since August, the company has sold more than 1.5 million bags of its candy around the world, including 30,000 bags online in the first six months without any advertising, Eisenbud said. The candy is already sold in the United States, United Kingdom, Australia and Japan and will soon be in Canada, China, Korea, Peru, Colombia and Uruguay.

This is Sharapova’s second car deal. She signed a deal with Land Rover in 2006 but was lost in the shuffle when Ford sold the brand less than two years later.

Tiger Woods Joins President Obama

February 17

ESPN News Services

President Barack Obama played golf Sunday with Tiger Woods, the White House said.

Once the sport’s dominant player before his career was sidetracked by scandal, Woods joined Obama at the Floridian, a secluded and exclusive yacht and golf club on Florida’s Treasure Coast where Obama is spending the long Presidents Day weekend. The two had met before, but Sunday was the first time they played together.

The White House has prohibited media coverage of Obama’s weekend golf outing.

The foursome also included Jim Crane, a Houston businessman who owns the Floridian and baseball’s Houston Astros, and outgoing U.S. Trade Representative Ron Kirk, a former mayor of Dallas, said White House spokesman Josh Earnest. Crane and Kirk also were part of Obama’s foursome on Saturday, the White House said.

“Well, when you get to play with the President and Tiger Woods in the same round, that’s one that doesn’t happen every day and it might not happen again,” Crane told MLB.com. “It was a lot of fun. The President was very cordial, and Tiger had a lot of fun and hit some great shots. We had a lot of fun.”

Golf Digest reported that Obama also spent eight hours Saturday with Butch Harmon, Woods’ former swing coach, during which he played 27 holes and hit balls in Harmon’s studio, and then managed to coordinate Sunday’s round with Woods. The report said the original plan called for Obama and Woods to play at Woods’ home club — The Medalist Golf Club, a half-hour away in Hobe Sound — but they eventually opted for the Floridian.

Woods departed after the first 18 holes, but Obama stayed on to play another nine, the report said.

“Just to see the interaction between the two on the range was pretty neat,” Harmon told Golf Digest. “The President said to Tiger: ‘The last tournament you played was fun to watch. It’s good to see you play well again.’ You could tell he meant it. It just wasn’t a throw-it-out compliment.”

Crane praised Obama’s skills on the golf course.

“He played well today,” the Astros’ owner told MLB.com. “He made some good shots and had some pars, and I think he shot in the 80s. The weather was nice and we had fun. I think he really enjoyed his visit and we really enjoyed having him in the Floridian, and hopefully we’ll have him back some day.”

It seems Obama and Woods — the first black men at the top of their respective fields — have spent the past few years inching toward Sunday’s meeting on the fairway.

The two met in January 2009, during Obama’s inauguration in Washington. Four months later, in April, Woods visited the White House and Obama welcomed him into the Oval Office.

Woods’ personal life imploded later in 2009 after revelations that he had engaged in multiple extramarital affairs, leading to divorce. He followed with a public apology and announced he was taking an indefinite break from golf. Shortly after Woods announced he was coming out of seclusion, Obama said in an interview with Fox News Channel that Woods still will be a “terrific” golfer despite his personal issues.

After returning to the sport, Woods went two years without winning, but his game is back on track and he currently is ranked No. 2 in the world. Woods won the last tournament he played, three weeks ago in San Diego.

The president is in Florida while First Lady Michelle Obama and daughters Malia and Sasha are on an annual ski vacation out West. He arrived late Friday and was due to return to Washington on Monday night.

Rafeal Nadal Wins Brazilian Open

Associated Press

February 17

The last time Rafael Nadal won in Brazil, it was at the very start of the most dominant clay-court career tennis has ever seen.

Eight years later, Nadal hopes his second title here will mark the restart.

Nadal beat David Nalbandian 6-2, 6-3 in the final of the Brazil Open on Sunday, his first trophy since returning from a seven-month layoff to treat his left knee.

While this indoor clay-court tournament is much more low-priofile than those he has grown used to winning, Nadal thrust his arms into the air and pumped his fist after Nalbandian sent a shot long to give the Spaniard his 51st singles title.

His second also came in this event in 2005, when he was still relatively unknown, and he went on to win the first of his seven French Open titles months later.

“Brazil will always be in my heart,” Nadal said. “Big things started to happen after I won here in 2005 and hopefully this is the start of something good again.”

Nadal needed the lengthy layoff to treat a partially torn and inflamed tendon in his knee, and his comeback was then further postponed by an illness. He returned to play in Chile last week, losing in the final of both the singles and doubles tournaments.

So lifting a trophy again felt extra good this time.

“I’ll definitely enjoy this one because of all the problems that I’ve gone through with the knee,” Nadal said. “When I won for the first time here I was just starting and hopefully this will mark a new beginning.”

It was Nadal’s first title since winning the French Open for the seventh time last June. Thirty-seven of his titles have been on clay.

Nadal struggled to find a rhythm in the beginning but was still able to break Nalbandian’s serve twice to take the first set, then rallied from 3-0 down in the second to win six straight games and close out and match in 1 hour, 18 minutes.

Seeking his 12th title, the 93rd-ranked Nalbandian was playing in a final for the first time since he was disqualified for kicking an advertisement board and injuring a line judge at Queen’s Club last June. The former world No. 3 hasn’t won a title since 2010 in Washington.

Nadal said his knee felt better on Sunday and it made all the difference.

“When the knee is feeling better like today I feel like that I can do more of the things that I used to do my entire life,” he said. “If the pain is bearable like it was today, then it’s fine.”

He had complained of soreness in his knee after Friday’s semifinal, which marked his second three-set match at the tournament.

Nadal still looked far from his best on Sunday, though, and didn’t seem to be moving well. The knee visibly bothered him at times and he left many balls unchallenged throughout the match.

But with the support from the local fans and with former Brazil star striker Ronaldo and mixed martial arts champion Anderson Silva in the crowd, Nadal took control of the match in the second set to secure the victory.

Nadal converted five of his eight break points against Nalbandian and was broken twice by the Argentine.

Nadal took the lead for the first time with a break in the sixth game, and then broke Nalbandian again in the final game to close out the set. The Argentine came out strong in the second set and broke Nadal twice in a row to go up 3-0, but the Spaniard quickly rebounded with two breaks and then cruised to close out the match without losing another game in front of nearly 10,000 people packing the Ibirapuera arena.

“I didn’t play my best match today, Rafa was much better,” Nalbandian said. “I was ahead in the second set but I couldn’t take advantage of it.”

The final in Brazil was only Nadal’s eighth singles match since his return. He withdrew from the doubles in Sao Paulo after winning the first match with Nalbandian as his partner. Nadal said he wanted to rest his knee for the singles tournament.

The 11-time Grand Slam champion admitted that the level of the competition in Brazil was not as high as in other tournaments but said that it wasn’t bad either, giving him the perfect opportunity to give his knee a good test. The Spaniard will play another clay-court tournament in Mexico in two weeks.

“Right now I’m just thinking about celebrating this title, it means a lot to me,” Nadal said. “I still need time, so I’m thinking day-to-day, week-to-week.”

Nadal had won four of his six career matches against Nalbandian, the last one a three-set victory in the quarterfinals of Indian Wells last year. Nalbandian’s last victory over Nadal was in 2007 in the final of a Master Series tournament in Paris.

The 31-year-old Argentine made his season debut in singles at the Brazil Open. He was out of action for several months last season because of an abdominal injury.

Czech Player Gets Doping Ban

 

Associated Press

February 14

LONDON — The International Tennis Federation says Czech player Barbora Zahlavova-Strycova has been banned six months for doping.

The 26-year-old Strycova tested positive for the stimulant sibutramine on Oct. 16 at the Luxembourg Open. She says the drug got into her system through a supplement and denied taking it to enhance her performance.

The ITF says it does not dispute the claim, but still banned her for the doping violation.

The ban for the 124th-ranked player has been backdated from Oct. 16 and all her results since then will be wiped out. She will be eligible to return on April 15.

Serena To Meet Victoria Azarenka

January 3

Associated Press

Serena Williams had a tough win over the woman she’s predicting will one day top the rankings, setting up a semifinal match at the Brisbane International against current No. 1 Victoria Azarenka.

The reigning Wimbledon, U.S. Open and Olympic champion showed plenty of emotion on key points in a heavy-hitting duel with Fed Cup teammate Sloane Stephens on Thursday before winning 6-4, 6-3.

Williams converted both break points and fended off one break chance against her in each set, later saying Stephens had the potential to be “the best in the world one day.”

Stephens was hitting the ball hard and cleanly, and got the better of some powerful rallies, but lacked experience in the two key moments — giving up a set point after wasting a game point on her own serve in the first and dropping serve in the eighth game of the second set.

The 19-year-old Stephens accepted the warm praise from Williams, her childhood idol.

“To have someone like that who I think is one of the greatest players to ever play the game say that about you is really nice,” Stephens said. “I lost to the best player in the world today, so, you know, it’s good.”

Williams has an 11-1 record against Azarenka and was 5-0 against the 23-year-old Belarussian in 2012, including the U.S. Open final.

Olympic and U.S. Open champion Andy Murray was pushed before winning his opening match 6-1, 5-7, 6-3 against Australian qualifier John Millman, who finished last year ranked No. 228.

The third-ranked Murray, the defending Brisbane champion, clutched at his stomach after missing a forehand in the third game of the second set and later had to save four set points before Millman tied the match at one set apiece.

Murray recovered from his lapse, got the only break in the deciding third set and finished off by holding serve at love. He’ll meet Denis Istomin of Uzbekistan, a 7-5, 7-5 winner over former No. 1 Lleyton Hewitt, in the quarterfinals.

“For a first match of the year, that was a perfect match in many ways to go through some tough moments, a lot of long rallies, close games, and important points,” Murray said. “It was great to play in an atmosphere like that for the first match of the year, to get back into the swing of playing in front of large and loud crowds.

“No matter how much you practice, you can’t replicate those sorts of atmospheres.”

In the other men’s second-round matches, Grigor Dimitrov of Bulgaria upset No. 2-seeded Milos Ronic of Canada 6-3, 6-4 and No. 7 Jurgen Melzer of Austria had a 6-5, 7-6 (4) win over David Goffin of Belgium.

The women’s semifinals are set for Friday, with Williams getting the least recovery time.

She seemed to have trouble with her right calf muscle midway through the second set against Stephens, knocking her lower leg three times with her racket before she served at 40-0 in the fifth game, but later said she didn’t have any injury concerns.

Azarenka started 2012 on a run, winning the Sydney International and the Australian Open — her first major — and gaining the No. 1 ranking during a 26-match winning streak.

But after a first-round exit in the French Open, Williams finished 2012 as the most dominant woman on tour. She has won 34 of her last 35 matches, including titles at Wimbledon, the London Olympics, the U.S. Open and the WTA Championships.

With the Australian Open starting on Jan. 14, and neither Azarenka nor Williams playing another tournament before then, Friday’s semifinal shapes up as a classic.

“I’m going up against the world’s greatest tomorrow. She had a fabulous year,” the third-ranked Williams said of Azarenka. “I feel like I have nothing to lose. She’s playing so well, she won I think in 20 minutes today. I have a lot of work to do tomorrow.”

Azarenka actually took 68 minutes to win her quarterfinal match. And she was looking forward to a chance to beat Williams, a 15-time major winner, before the first Grand Slam event of 2013.

“Well, it’s a tough match, there is no question about it,” Azarenka said. “It’s going to be a great test for the Australian Open.”

Azarenka and Williams are the only two seeded players still in contention in Brisbane after No. 36-ranked Anastasia Pavlyuchenkova of Russia beat No. 4 Angelique Kerber of Germany 7-6 (3), 7-6 (3) in the first of the quarterfinals, her second win over a top 10 player this week after defeating 2011 Wimbledon champion Petra Kvitova in the first round.

Pavlyuchenkova will play Lesia Tsurenko of Ukraine, the lucky loser from qualifying who got into the main draw when No. 2-ranked Maria Sharapova withdrew because of a sore right collarbone. Tsurenko had a 6-3, 6-4 win over Daniela Hantuchova of Slovakia.

Rafael Nadal Out of Aussie Open

December 28

Associated Press

Rafael Nadal will miss the Australian Open because of a stomach virus, further delaying his comeback after being sidelined since June.

The Australian Open, the year’s first Grand Slam tournament, begins Jan. 14. The virus kept Nadal from making his return at Abu Dhabi this week.

The Spaniard said Friday his withdrawals had nothing to do with the tendinitis in his left knee, which forced him to take a break last summer following his second-round loss at Wimbledon to then 100th-ranked Lukas Rosol. Nadal also missed the London Olympics.

“My knee is much better and the rehabilitation process has gone well as predicted by the doctors,” Nadal said in a statement. “But this virus didn’t allow me to practice this past week, and therefore I am sorry to announce that I will not play in Doha and the Australian Open.”

The former No. 1 player hopes to return at Acapulco, Mexico, starting Feb. 27. However, he did not rule out playing an earlier tournament if his recovery went well enough.

“I always said that my return to competition will be when I am in the right conditions to play,” he said. “And after all this time away from the courts, I’d rather not accelerate the comeback and prefer to do things well.”

Nadal, ranked No. 4, won the Australian Open in 2009. Last year, he lost to top-ranked Novak Djokovic in a title match that lasted 5 hours, 53 minutes, the longest recorded Grand Slam final.

Nadal’s doctor, Angel Ruiz-Cotorro, said in the statement that Nadal needed at least a week to recover from the virus, ruling him out for the Qatar Open set to start Wednesday.

And Nadal’s coach and uncle, Toni Nadal, explained that Nadal had opted against making his return at Melbourne since he wouldn’t be physically fit to take on its five-set format.

“We consider not appropriate to play the Australian Open since we will not have enough preparation for a greater competition which is a Grand Slam tournament,” Toni Nadal said in the statement. “It is simply not conceivable that his first event is a best of five sets event, he wouldn’t be ready for that.”

Nadal’s knee injury prevented the 11-time Grand Slam winner from defending his Olympic singles gold at last summer’s London Games, where he was supposed to be Spain’s flag bearer in the opening ceremony.

He also had to pull out of the U.S. Open and Spain’s Davis Cup final against the Czech Republic, and his teammates lost without him.

Serena Slammed the Competition

ESPN.com

September 13

With the 2012 Grand Slam now in the books, here’s a look at how players performed on tennis’ biggest stage:

1. Serena Williams: Only one player won two Grand Slam titles this year. Was it a surprise that Serena Williams stood out from the rest? Williams cast aside disappointments in Melbourne and Paris to blow out most of the field at Wimbledon and the U.S. Open. It’s 15 majors and counting.

2. Novak Djokovic: Novak Djokovic couldn’t match his Grand Slam output of 2011 and ended his 2012 Slam season by losing a heart breaker to Andy Murray. But Djokovic was the only player to appear in three Grand Slam finals, and he bagged one, in Melbourne.

3. Andy Murray: The drought is over for Andy Murray, and no one can say the Scot didn’t deserve a major. He came close to winning at Wimbledon before battling his way to the title at Flushing Meadows. A huge assist goes to Ivan Lendl, who has no doubt helped Murray improve mentally.

4. Roger Federer: Roger Federer still has plenty of life in him at the age of 31. The quarterfinal streak at majors continues, and the Swiss ended his two-year wait for a Slam crown by once again ruling the roost at Wimbledon. There’s little to suggest that Federer won’t be as consistent next year.

5. Victoria Azarenka: She shrieks and she’s sticking with it. But Victoria Azarenka can also play. Azarenka opened her Grand Slam account in Melbourne in convincing fashion and nearly made it two at the U.S. Open, where her return of serve and athleticism severely tested Williams. Azarenka will get that second major soon enough.

6. Maria Sharapova: Maria Sharapova didn’t know what to expect from herself at the start of 2012, since she was recovering from an ankle injury. Reaching the Australian Open final was thus a pleasant surprise. Speaking of surprises, how many thought Sharapova would complete her Grand Slam collection at the French Open?

7. Rafael Nadal: Rafael Nadal hasn’t played since Wimbledon, where he was on the receiving end of one of the biggest upsets in Grand Slam history, because of a knee injury. But Rafa had enough in him to triumph in Paris, and, had he not missed a backhand sitter in the fifth set in Melbourne, he might have been victorious over Djokovic in their marathon.

8. Sara Errani: The little engine that could. Sara Errani has had most of her success on clay, yet at smaller tournaments. Errani changed that at Roland Garros, progressing to the final as Italians once again had reason to cheer. Let’s not forget, too, that Errani reached the quarterfinals in Melbourne and semis in New York. A career year.

9. Agnieszka Radwanska: Agnieszka Radwanska was supposed to be a pushover in the Wimbledon final. She obviously didn’t read the script. Radwanska hung in there and extended Williams to three sets. She began the campaign with a quarterfinal showing in Oz but ran out of gas in New York.

10. David Ferrer: David Ferrer, who turned 30 in April, shows no signs of slowing down. For the first time in a single season, Ferrer was a quarterfinalist or better at each of the Grand Slams. He outlasted Janko Tipsarevic in New York in one of the matches of the year and gave Murray a scare at Wimbledon.

11. Petra Kvitova: On paper, two semifinals, one quarterfinal and one fourth round at Slams doesn’t look all that bad for Petra Kvitova. However, given her tremendous ability, she should have done much better. Kvitova still needs tinkering. We have faith. She’ll eventually get things right.

12. Angelique Kerber: When the season began, who suspected Angelique Kerber would become head of the German pack, outdoing Andrea Petkovic, Julia Goerges and Sabine Lisicki? Kerber saved her best stuff for Wimbledon, where the lefty ventured to the semis. Perhaps in the future she will play less and focus more on the majors.

13. Jo-Wilfried Tsonga: Jo-Wilfried Tsonga was as exciting as ever. He came within a forehand of ousting Djokovic at the French Open and played his part in a thriller against Murray in the Wimbledon semis. If only Tsonga could temper his game — slightly — and play the percentages better.

14. Juan Martin del Potro: The Australian Open was a good news-bad news deal for Juan Martin del Potro. He advanced to the quarters, but was pummeled by Federer. More uplifting for del Potro: He pushed Federer to five sets at the French with a bum knee and contested a high-quality quarterfinal against Djokovic in New York. The Argentine will get to at least one Slam semi in 2013.

15. Samantha Stosur: Samantha Stosur never does well at the Australian Open and Wimbledon, so she’d better pick up some points at the French and U.S. Open. So it proved. Stosur got to the semis in Paris, upset by Errani. In New York as the defending champion, Stosur took Azarenka to a third-set tiebreak in the quarterfinals, the first time she’d played Vika tough.

16. Tomas Berdych: Tomas Berdych, where did you go in the second and third sets of the U.S. Open semifinal against Murray? He left it too late to rally, and Murray handled the blustery conditions much better. Yet the U.S. Open was Berdych’s salvation after a horrible French and Wimbledon. The Czech competed well against Rafa in Melbourne.

17. Nicolas Almagro: Nicolas Almagro was a model of consistency at the Grand Slams in 2012. As usual, he slugged his way to the fourth round in Australia, and he went one round better on dirt in Paris. He was good enough to reach the third round and fourth round in London and New York, respectively. If Almagro can shore up mentally, he has the capability of reaching the quarterfinals at all four Slams.

18. Philipp Kohlschreiber: And here we thought Philipp Kohlschreiber was a guy who wanted to avoid controversy. He raised eyebrows when he played at a tournament the week before the Olympics — and then bailed from London 2012 at the last minute. Then there was being left off the Davis Cup team. Kohlschreiber, though, put together a solid Slam season, highlighted by a quarterfinal at Wimbledon.

19. Anna Ivanovic: It took four long years for Ana Ivanovic to reach another Grand Slam quarterfinal. Will she have to wait another four? Probably not. Besides her appearance in the last eight in New York, Ivanovic produced fourth-round finishes at the Australian Open and Wimbledon. As it turned out, she didn’t need to be embarrassed at losing to Errani in three sets in Paris.

20. Janko Tipsarevic: Janko Tipsarevic has done better outside the majors, but the days of losing in the first or second round are over for the Serbian No. 2. Tipsarevic saved his best for last this year, reaching another quarterfinal in New York, where he and Ferrer traded ground strokes for nearly five hours.

Serena, Venus Set Charity Face-off

Associated Press

September 13

Newly crowned U.S. Open champion Serena Williams and sister Veus will play each other in an exhibition match on a visit to South Africa in early November.

The Americans will also attend a coaching clinic in the famous Soweto township when they travel to the country in support of a women’s charity, organizers said Wednesday. They will face each other on court for the first time in Africa at the Ellis Park Arena in Johannesburg.

As well as her Flushing Meadows triumph, Serena won her fifth Wimbledon title and first Olympic singles gold in London this season in a remarkable turnaround after losing in the first round of the French Open. The younger Williams now has 15 career Grand Slam titles.

She said the sisters were “proud and humbled” to be invited to travel to South Africa, while seven-time Grand Slam champion Venus — the Olympic champion in 2000 — added they were “extremely excited.”

“After Serena’s gold medal at the Olympics, her win at Wimbledon and now the U.S. Open too, I look forward to taking my younger sister on in this exhibition tennis match in South Africa,” Venus said.

The sisters also have combined for 13 Grand Slam doubles titles and won Olympic gold in the doubles in 2000, 2008 and this year.

Andy Wins Open, First Slam

Associated Press

September 11

His considerable lead, and a chance at history, slipping away, Andy Murray dug deep for stamina and mental strength, outlasting Novak Djokovic in a thrilling five-set, nearly five-hour U.S. Open final Monday.

It had been 76 years since a British man won a Grand Slam singles championship and, at least for Murray, it was well worth the wait.

Ending Great Britain’s long drought, and snapping his own four-final skid in majors, Murray finally pulled through with everything at stake on a Grand Slam stage, shrugging off defending champion Djokovic’s comeback bid to win 7-6 (10), 7-5, 2-6, 3-6, 6-2.

“Relief is probably the best word I would use to describe how I’m feeling just now,” Murray said, adding: “You do think: Is it ever going to happen?”

Yes, Murray already had showed he could come up big by winning the gold medal in front of a home crowd at the London Olympics last month. But this was different. This was a Grand Slam tournament, the standard universally used to measure tennis greatness — and the 287th since Britain’s Fred Perry won the 1936 U.S. Championships, as the event was known back then.

“He deserved to win this Grand Slam more than anybody,” Djokovic said of Murray, who will rise to No. 3 in the rankings behind No. 1 Roger Federer and No. 2 Djokovic.

Murray vs. Djokovic was a test of will as much as skill, lasting 4 hours, 54 minutes, tying the record for longest U.S. Open final. The first-set tiebreaker’s 22 points set a tournament mark. They repeatedly produced fantastic, tales-in-themselves points, lasting 10, 20, 30, even 55 — yes, 55! — strokes, counting the serve. The crowd gave a standing ovation to salute one majestic, 30-stroke point in the fourth set that ended with Murray’s forehand winner as Djokovic fell to the court, slamming on his left side.

“Novak is so, so strong. He fights until the end in every single match,” Murray said. “I don’t know how I managed to come through in the end.”

But as the finish approached, Djokovic — who had won eight consecutive five-set matches, including in the semifinals (against Murray) and final (against Rafael Nadal) at the Australian Open in January — was the one looking fragile, trying to catch breathers and doing deep knee bends at the baseline to stretch his aching groin muscles. After getting broken to trail 5-2 in the fifth, Djokovic had his legs massaged by a trainer.

“Well, any loss is a bad loss. There is no question about it,” Djokovic said. “I’m disappointed to lose the match, but in the back of my mind I knew that I gave it all. I really, really tried to fight my way back.”

No one had blown a two-set lead in the U.S. Open title match since 1949, and Murray was determined not to claim that distinction.

When Djokovic sent a forehand long on the final point, Murray crouched and covered his mouth with both hands, as though even he could not believe this moment had actually arrived. The 25-year-old Scot took off his sneakers, grimacing with each step as he gingerly stepped across the court. Djokovic came around to offer congratulations and a warm embrace, while “Chariots of Fire” blared over the Arthur Ashe Stadium loudspeakers.

Murray was one of only two men in the professional era, which began in 1968, to have lost his first four Grand Slam finals — against Djokovic in the 2011 Australian Open, and against Federer at the 2008 U.S. Open, 2010 Australian Open and this year’s Wimbledon.

The other guy who began 0-4? Ivan Lendl, who just so happens to be Murray’s coach nowadays. Murray’s forehand is one of the improvements he’s made under the tutelage of Lendl, who sat still for much of the match, eyeglasses perched atop his white baseball hat and crossed arms resting on his red sweater — in sum, betraying about as much emotion as he ever did during his playing days.

During the post-match ceremony, Murray joked about Lendl’s reaction: “I think that was almost a smile.”

The lack of a Grand Slam title for Murray, and for his country, has been the subject of much conversation and consternation in the United Kingdom, where the first of what would become tennis’ top titles was awarded at Wimbledon in 1877.

Djokovic, in contrast, was bidding for his sixth major trophy, fifth in the past two seasons. He had won 27 Grand Slam hard-court matches in a row.

Murray and Djokovic were born a week apart in May 1987, and they’ve known, and competed against, each other since they were about 11. Before Saturday’s semifinals in New York, they shared a computer and sat together to watch online as Murray’s Scotland and Djokovic’s Serbia played to a 0-0 draw in a qualifying match for soccer’s World Cup.

It was windy at the start Monday, gusting above 25 mph, and Murray dealt with it much better. Djokovic admitted after his semifinal that he was bothered by heavy wind while falling behind 5-2 in the first set Saturday; that’s when play was suspended until the next day, the reason the tournament finished on a Monday instead of Sunday for the fifth consecutive year. Murray faced similar conditions in the semifinals — when a changeover chair skidded onto the court as he served one point — and joked after that victory that growing up in wind-whipped Scotland helped.

Murray had plenty of noteworthy fans in the stands Monday, including a pair of Scots who crashed his news conference after that semifinal: actor Sean Connery and Manchester United manager Alex Ferguson. The last British woman to win a Grand Slam singles title, 1977 Wimbledon champion Virginia Wade, also was present, chatting between games with actor Stanley Tucci.

With the air carrying balls and making them dip or dart this way and that, nearly every shot became a bit of an adventure. Both players repeatedly needed to adjust mid-swing, contorting their bodies simply to make contact. Both let service tosses fall to the ground because the ball would move out of hitting range. As the wind wrapped around the chair umpire’s microphone, it made a loud, distracting sound that resembled thunder.

“We both did a lot of running. It was unfortunate really to not be able to come up with big shots at the right time. It forced me to go for winners or mistakes,” Djokovic said. “Unfortunately I did a lot of mistakes.”

He totaled 65 unforced errors to Murray’s 56; they combined for 49 more unforced errors than winners. That said, there probably should have a statistic to count wind-forced errors.

They traded nearly mirror-image breaks in the first two games, and that made sense, given how good both are at returning serve. Two of the best in the game right now, maybe ever. Djokovic crouches low, his back nearly parallel to the ground, before an opponent serves. Murray shuffles his weight from leg to leg and hops forward at the last second to cut off angles.

Both worked hard, the physical nature taking a toll. Djokovic’s right knee was bloodied after he scraped it during a few tumbles to the court when he lost his footing, and he switched shoes late in the third set. Murray clutched his left thigh while deciding not to chase a lob.

There were 10 points of at least 10 strokes each in the first-set tiebreaker, which lasted 25 minutes. Djokovic saved each of Murray’s initial five set points, the last with a 123 mph ace to make it 10-all. But Djokovic’s backhand flew long at the end of a 21-shot exchange to cede set point No. 6, and this time Murray converted, hitting a 117 mph serve that Djokovic couldn’t put in the court.

Murray turned toward his guest box and bellowed, “Come on!”

That loss to Federer in this year’s Wimbledon final left Murray in tears, his voice cracking as he told the supportive Centre Court crowd, “I’m getting closer.” He appeared to be really, really close Monday, after seizing that epic first set and then racing to a 4-0 lead in the second.

But Djokovic is nothing if not tenacious, and he would not go quietly. Raising his level of play as Murray took a step or two backward, Djokovic broke for 4-1 and then again when Murray served for a two-set lead at 5-3. That’s when Murray made three unforced errors, truly showing some jitters, as though the prospect of such prosperity was a tad overwhelming.

When Djokovic held to 5-all, it seemed as though the second set might head to a tiebreaker, too.

But with Djokovic serving while trailing 6-5, he was the one who faltered. On a 31-stroke point, Djokovic missed a forehand to make it 15-30. Then Murray’s defensive skills came into play, as he got one overhead back and forced Djokovic to hit a second, which sailed wide. Chest heaving, Djokovic put his hands on his hips, having a hard time understanding what was happening. Two points later, Djokovic pushed an inside-out forehand wide, giving Murray that set. Even Lendl rose to his feet.

Djokovic, though, knows how to fashion a comeback. He’s won three times after facing a two-set hole, most recently in the French Open’s fourth round this year, and most notably in the U.S. Open’s semifinals against Federer last year.

“If I had lost this one from two sets up,” Murray said, “that would have been a tough one to take.”

After stretching for a backhand volley winner to hold at 1-1 in the third, Djokovic let out a guttural yell and pumped his fists. Across the net, Murray frowned and shook his head. In the very next game, as Murray kept up a monologue of self-admonishment, Djokovic kept up his better-late-than-never charge. He broke for a 2-1 lead, turning on a 126 mph serve with a terrific return. Soon enough, they were headed to a fourth set.

Djokovic held onto the momentum there. He secured a break point by tapping the ball over the net with the lightest caress, then took four steps, raised his right fist and yelled. There was more punching of the air and screaming seconds later after a volley winner put Djokovic ahead 1-0.

The sun was setting, the match was approaching 3½ hours, and it was apparent that Murray was now tentative and in some trouble.

“At some point, it’s going to come down to who wants it more or how badly do you want it,” Lendl said. “I don’t want to say Novak didn’t want it. But it’s: How bad do you want it? What price are you going to pay and how can you execute under extreme pressure?”

Making a key tactical move, Djokovic pushed forward at nearly any opportunity, shortening points and grabbing easy volleys wherever he could. He ended up winning the point on 39 of 56 trips to the net; Murray was 16 of 24.

A critical moment came with Djokovic facing a break point that could have let Murray pull even in the fourth set. After Murray missed a forehand to make it deuce, chair umpire Jake Garner warned Djokovic about taking too much time between points. A discussion ensued, and after winning the next point with a service winner, Djokovic sent a “Take that!” stare in Garner’s direction. In the stands, Djokovic’s father stood up and glared at Garner. Djokovic held to go ahead 3-1 and eventually forced the fifth set.

Murray nosed ahead quickly, breaking for a 1-0 lead when his shot ticked off the net tape, throwing off Djokovic, who missed a backhand then smiled a wry smile of disbelief, shaking his head. Murray walked to the changeover chomping on a white towel.

It was a 2-0 lead for Murray soon thereafter, as he pounded a 131 mph service winner and then used some terrific defense to stretch a point until Djokovic missed again. Murray screamed and pumped his arms, and the spectators, sending something special, responded with a roar.

Murray broke again to go ahead 3-0 and was on his way.

Federer, Djokovic and Nadal — who missed the U.S. Open with a left knee injury — had won 29 of the previous 30 major tournaments (the exception: Juan Martin Del Potro in New York in 2009).

Now Murray joins the Grand Slam club.

“I think everybody’s in kind of shock,” Murray said, “that this happened.”

Serena Williams Wins U.S. Open Title

ESPN.com News Services

September 11

Finally tested, even trailing, at the U.S. Open, Serena Williams turned things around just in time.

Two points from defeat, Williams suddenly regained her composure and her strokes, coming back to win the last four games and beat Victoria Azarenka 6-2, 2-6, 7-5 on Sunday night for her fourth championship at Flushing Meadows and 15th Grand Slam title overall.

With the win Williams became the firt women’s tennis player to cross $40 million in earnings. With this U.S. Open singles title and her third round doubles loss, her on-court career earnings are now $40,090,142.

“I honestly can’t believe I won. I really was preparing my runner-up speech, because I thought, ‘Man, she’s playing so great,’ ” Williams said during the trophy presentation after the 2-hour, 18-minute match, adding: “I’m really shocked.”

She might be the only one.

After all, what really was stunning was that the top-ranked Azarenka made things as interesting as they were, given that she came into the day 1-9 against Williams.

Add in that Williams hadn’t dropped a set in the tournament, losing only 19 games through six matches before Sunday. All part of a tremendous run she is putting together in reaction to her loss at the French Open in late May, the American’s only first-round exit in 49 career major tournaments. Since then, she is 26-1, winning Wimbledon and the London Olympics.

“I was miserable after that loss in Paris. I have never been so miserable after a loss,” Williams said. “I pulled it together. … Sometimes, they say, it’s good to lose.”

There hadn’t been a three-set women’s final in New York since 1995, and Williams came through with a late charge to become the first woman to win Wimbledon and the U.S. Open in the same season since a decade ago, when — yes, that’s right — she did it.

“She never gives up,” said Azarenka, who managed only 13 winners, 31 fewer than Williams. “She’s definitely the toughest player, mentally, there is and she’s got the power.”

While Azarenka, a 23-year-old from Belarus, doesn’t have the name recognition or bona fides of Williams, she did win the Australian Open in January, and was 32-2 (a .941 winning percentage) on hard courts in 2012. She also hadn’t dropped a three-setter all season until Sunday, going 12-0 in matches that went the distance, including victories over defending U.S. Open champion Sam Stosur in the quarterfinals and 2006 champion Maria Sharapova in the semifinals.

As Sunday’s third set commenced, Williams’ mother, Oracene Price, told her from the stands, “Settle down.”

Didn’t happen right away.

“Well, she’s a human being, you know, who has two feet, two legs, two hands,” Azarenka said. “It’s understandable.”

When Williams double-faulted, slapped a bad backhand into the net and pushed a forehand long, Azarenka broke at love for a 4-3 edge, then followed that up by holding for 5-3.

One game from the championship.

“I never, never quit. I have come back so many times in so many matches,” Williams said. “I wasn’t too nervous.”

Azarenka was two points away at 30-all with the fourth-seeded Williams serving in the next game, but couldn’t convert. And when Azarenka served for the victory at 5-4, she showed the jitters that probably are understandable given that this was only her second career Grand Slam final, 17 fewer than Williams.

Azarenka made three errors in that game, including a forehand into the net that let Williams break her to 5-all. Williams kept whatever excitement she might have felt contained, face straight as possible, while her older sister, seven-time major champion Venus, smiled and clapped in the stands.

That was during a key stretch in which Williams took 10 of 12 points to go ahead 6-5. She then broke again to win, dropping onto her back on the court when Azarenka sent a backhand long to end it.

“Feels like there is no room for a mistake,” is the way Azarenka described trying to deal with Williams’ game. “There is no room for a wrong decision.”

Azarenka slumped in her changeover chair, a white towel covering her head, as Williams kept saying, “Oh, my God! Oh, my God! Oh, my God!” while scurrying over to share the joy with her mother and big sister.

“Being so close, it hurts deeply,” Azarenka said. “To know you don’t have it. You’re close; you didn’t get it.”

Williams, who turns 31 on Sept. 26, is the first 30-year-old woman to win the U.S. Open since Martina Navratilova in 1987.

Williams is dominating the game right now. And she’s been dominant, off and on, for more than a decade.

She won her very first major championship at age 17 at the 1999 U.S. Open. Winning titles 13 years apart at the same Grand Slam tournament represents the longest span of success in the professional era, which began in 1968. Navratilova (Wimbledon, 1978 and 1990) and Chris Evert (French Open, 1974 and 1986) had the longest previous spans of 12 years.

“Yeah, three decades — the ’90s, 2000s, 2010s,” Williams said. “That’s kind of cool.”

Every so often, though, Williams’ reign has been interrupted by health problems.

She missed eight months after having surgery on her left knee in 2003, the year she had completed a self-styled “Serena Slam” by winning four consecutive major titles.

Of more concern was what happened only a few days after she won Wimbledon in 2010. Williams cut both feet on broken glass while leaving a restaurant in Germany, leading to two operations on her right foot. Then she got blood clots in her lungs and needed to inject herself with a blood thinner. Those shots led to a pool of blood gathering under her stomach’s skin, requiring another procedure in the hospital.

In all, she was off the tour for about 10 months.

“She was so disgusted at home. She felt like she was useless. That’s the way it is with athletes, I guess. She couldn’t sit still,” Price said Sunday night. “She was getting depressed. A lot to overcome.”

Talk about making up for lost time.

After her first-round loss at Roland Garros to a woman ranked 111th, Williams went back to work, getting help from Patrick Mouratoglou, a coach who runs a tennis academy in France. She’s 14-0 in Grand Slam matches since then; the Wimbledon trophy ended a two-year drought without a major title.

Mouratoglou came to New York with Williams, and he noticed the way she set aside her mid-match struggles.

“Players usually completely lose their confidence and they can’t get all of their tennis back. But she got all her tennis back. Like nothing happened,” he said. “This is what was most impressive. She’s not like the other players.”

Worries about a potentially dangerous storm led the tournament to postpone Williams-Azarenka, making this the fourth time in the last five years that the U.S. Open women’s final was pushed from Saturday to Sunday.

When they got started, Williams was good as can be, compiling a 16-2 advantage in winners through the first set.

She pounded big serves — she finished with 13 aces, at up to 125 mph — and big returns; smacked forehands and backhands out of Azarenka’s reach; even tossed in a terrific backhand lob to break for a 2-0 lead at the outset.

Both women had issues with the officiating — though nothing compared to Williams’ misadventures in the past.

“This is the first year … in a long time,” Williams said, “I haven’t lost my cool.”

In the 2009 semifinals, Williams was angered by a foot-fault call that resulted in a double-fault, setting up match point for her opponent, Kim Clijsters. Williams launched into a racket-brandishing tirade that resulted in a fine and a Grand Slam probation that made her be on her best behavior or risk being suspended. Then, while losing to Stosur in last year’s final, Williams lost her cool and berated the chair umpire — “You’re just unattractive inside,” was among the noteworthy lines — after being docked a point for screaming during a point.

This time, there was a foot-fault call, too. It came with Williams serving at 40-love while trailing 2-0 in the second set. She didn’t react at all immediately, finished off that game, then stared down the linesman as she walked to the sideline at the ensuing changeover. He chuckled a bit.

“I’m just happy that she got through this one without any incident and was able to try to forget all that in the past,” Price said. “Because I think that was a lot in her mind.”

Actually, by then, Williams had bigger problems to worry about.

She double-faulted to get broken in that set’s opening game, and got broken again to fall behind 4-1 in a game that featured Azarenka sliding into a running forehand winner and nearly doing a full splits. Even Williams applauded that one.

But when the game ended, Williams slapped her racket against her changeover chair.

Azarenka also had a minor run-in with the chair umpire Sunday, complaining when a point she thought she should have won was replayed.

“You’re hilarious,” Azarenka said, her words and grin drenched in sarcasm.

Andy Roddick’s Career is Over

September 5

ESPN.com News Services

When Roddick double-faulted, then missed a forehand, to fall behind 3-2, the competitive portion of the match was essentially done. The rest of the way was a chance for spectators to salute a guy who always wore his emotions on his sleeve while finishing nine consecutive seasons ranked in the top 10.

Roddick made a brief appearance at No. 1 following his only Grand Slam trophy – and the most recent for an American man – nine years ago. He appeared in four other major finals, losing to Roger Federer each time, and wound up with 32 tournament titles overall.

“It’s been a road of a lot of ups, a lot of downs, a lot of great moments. I’ve appreciated your support along the way,” Roddick said. “I know I certainly haven’t made it easy for you at times but I really do appreciate it and love you guys with all my heart. Hopefully I’ll come back to this place someday and see all of you again.”

Del Potro joined the fans in standing to applaud. He moved on to a quarterfinal against defending champion Novak Djokovic, who advanced when his opponent, No. 18 Stanislas Wawrinka, stopped because of illness and fatigue while trailing 6-4, 6-1, 3-1.

Djokovic’s Serbian Davis Cup teammate, No. 8 Janko Tipsarevic, finished his rain-interrupted 6-3, 7-6 (5), 6-2 victory over No. 19 Phillipp Kohlschreiber of Germany, and gets No. 4 David Ferrer of Spain in the quarterfinals.

Rory Mcllroy Wins Deutsche Bank Open

September 4

Associated Press

Rory Mcllroy got the start he wanted Monday at the Deutsche Bank Championship, erasing a three-shot deficit in just five holes. The finish was hardly a masterpiece, except for the part when golf’s No. 1 player posed with the trophy.

Boy Wonder didn’t make it easy on himself on Labor Day at the TPC Boston. He tore up the turf on a tee shot that traveled 170 yards, and that was the only fairway he hit over the last five holes.

He had to make a 6-foot putt to save par from a bunker, and a 5-foot putt to save bogey after a pitch sailed from one side of the green to the other. And he had to wait as Louis Oosthuizen’s birdie putt to force a playoff slid below the hole.

“I had a couple of wobbles coming in, but I obviously did enough and I’m very excited to get a victory,” McIlroy said.

That’s all anyone will remember.

On a leaderboard packed with some of the biggest names in golf — McIlroy, Oosthuizen, Tiger Woods, Phil Mickelson and Dustin Johnson — the 23-year-old from Northern Ireland took a giant leap toward establishing himself as the best in the game.

With four birdies in six holes at the start, and limiting the damage from his mistakes at the end, McIlroy closed with a 4-under 67 for a one-shot victory over Oosthuizen, joining Woods as the only three-time winners this year on the PGA Tour.

McIlroy goes to No. 1 in the FedEx Cup. And with one of his wins being the PGA Championship, that might be enough for his peers to vote him PGA Tour player of the year. He also has a comfortable gap in the world ranking, and could be tough to catch the rest of the year unless Woods were to win the next two FedEx Cup events.

“He’s not No. 1 in the world for nothing,” Oosthuizen said. “He’s a great young talent, a lot of majors left for him to win. He’s such a cool kid on the course. It’s great playing with him. He makes tough shots look really easy sometimes, especially long irons.

“I don’t think the back nine he hit the ball that great after what he did on the front nine, but he did what he had to do.”

Woods made an early charge to get back in the hunt, though he never got closer than three shots until a two-putt birdie on the par-5 18th gave him a 66. He finished in third place, two shots behind, and earned enough money to become the first player to surpass $100 million in PGA Tour earnings.

Woods attributed that to higher purses, though he’s responsible for those.

“I think we got some interest in the game of golf,” Woods said. “A lot more youth, that’s for sure.”

One of those kids — McIlroy — keeps winning. The Honda Classic in March. The record eight-shot win in the PGA Championship. And now a FedEx Cup playoff event in Boston.

“Three is a great number,” McIlroy said. “I’d like to make it four — or five — after the FedEx Cup.”

Mickelson also had a 66 and tied for fourth, along with Johnson, who had a 70 and likely played his way onto the Ryder Cup team. Brandt Snedeker made a strong case for a captain’s pick with a 65-67 weekend to finish sixth.

Davis Love III will announce his four picks Tuesday morning in New York.

McIlroy had a three-shot lead with six holes to play, and only a clutch bogey putt on the 17th hole kept him from losing all of his lead.

Oosthuizen, who had to cope with pain in his right shoulder earlier in the round, came back with two birdies on the back to get within one shot. McIlroy hit a chip over the 17th green into more rough, and it looked as if he would struggle to make bogey.

Oosthuizen, however, missed the green from 140 yards in the fairway, chipped poorly to 10 feet and missed his par putt, and McIlroy calmly sank his 5-foot bogey putt to stay one shot ahead.

“The 17th hole cost me,” Oosthuizen said.

McIlroy finished 20-under 264.

It was the second time this year that Oosthuizen, who won the British Open by seven shots at St. Andrews two years ago, failed to win after leading going into the final round. McIlroy made an early charge with three straight birdies, but the turning point came on the fifth hole when Oosthuizen felt pain in his shoulder on a tee shot that sailed into the trees and led to double bogey.

The pain went away on the back, which the South African attributed to an adrenaline rush.

McIlroy and Oosthuizen turned it into a two-man race, with Woods lurking until he couldn’t convert enough putts. In the end, neither could Oosthuizen. He missed from just inside 10 feet for par on the 17th and from 12 feet on the 18th.

“I probably made all my putts yesterday,” Oosthuizen said.

There was other drama at the Deutsche Bank Championship, though it was not nearly as compelling as the top of the leaderboard.

Charley Hoffman went from the first page of the leaderboard to an unimaginable collapse until he steadied himself at the end. Hoffman, who was 13 under after a birdie on the eighth hole, played his next nine holes in 8-over par, including a quadruple-bogey 7 on the par-3 11th. He came to the 18th needing a par to finish among the top 70 in the FedEx Cup and advance to the third playoff event next week in Indianapolis.

He went over the green in two, barely chipped onto the putting surface, and then ran his putt 12 feet by the hole. He made the putt for par, and moves on.

“I didn’t expect to be playing next week,” Hoffman said. “Shooting 42 on the back nine, I don’t think I deserved to play next week. But I guess I’ve got another chance.”

Others who advanced included Dicky Pride, who birdied his last two holes to get the 70th spot by one stroke over Jonas Blixt; and Chris Kirk, who stumbled at the start only to birdie four of his last five holes.

Oosthuizen had a three-shot lead at the start of the final round, though he was never expecting an easy time. McIlroy rallied to cut a six-shot deficit in half on the back nine of the third round to give himself a chance, another example why he is No. 1 in the world.

Sure enough, McIlroy came out firing with three straight birdies, starting with a two-putt from the fringe on the par-5 second.

The fifth hole changed everything.

Oosthuizen reached for his shoulder after a horrific snap hook off the tee. The ball dove into the woods and landed in the middle of shoulder-high bushes, leaving him no option but to take a penalty drop out of the hazard. He laid up short of the creek and two-putted for double bogey. They were tied, because McIlroy’s tee shot found a clump of native grass on the edge of a bunker, and he had to chip out short of the creek and made bogey.

Oosthuizen, though, was clearly hurting. He couldn’t get through his swing on the next tee shot, which sailed into the bunker and kept him from attacking the pin. That’s what McIlroy did, hitting 9-iron into 3 feet for birdie and his first lead. He never gave it back.

Tiger Woods Tops $100 Million in Earnings

September 3

Associated Press

“The purse increase helps,” Woods said after a final-round 66 left him two strokes behind winner Rory Mcllroy in the second week of the four-tournament FedEx Cup playoff. “I won fewer tournaments than Sam Snead has, but obviously he was in a different era. It’s just that we happened to time it up right and happened to play well when the purses really had a nice spike up.”

Snead, the career leader with 82 PGA Tour victories, earned just $620,126 in a career that started in 1937. His biggest prize was $28,000 for a second-place finish in Milwaukee in 1968, and for most of his prime he played in tournaments with a total purse — that’s all the payouts combined — of less than $100,000.

Woods has won 74 tournaments, second all-time, including 38 times with a first prize of $1 million or more. His winnings come out to an average of $362,276.89 for each of his 277 career starts.

But it’s not just good timing: Prize money skyrocketed on the PGA Tour after Woods went pro and brought huge crowds and television audiences to the sport.

“It was nice to have a nice start to my career, and I won some majors early,” he said. “I think we got some interest in the game of golf. A lot more youth, that’s for sure.”

This weekend’s Deutsche Bank paid out $8 million, including the $1.44 million that went to McIlroy for his third victory of the year.

By finishing strong — he was in the 60s in all four rounds — Woods remains in contention for the $10 million FedEx Cup bonus, which he has won twice. That money isn’t even included in his official career earnings, nor is the hundreds of millions he has collected in endorsements.

Ernie Ells Rallies To Win Open

July 22

ESPN.com News Services

Ernie Els plucked the ball from the hole after one last birdie and heaved it into the grandstand. At the time, it looked like nothing more than a classy gesture by a former Open Championship winner — not the next one.

The name on the Claret Jug was supposed to be Adam Scott, who had a four-shot lead with four holes to play.

But in a shocking turnaround Sunday, Els returned to the 18th green less than an hour later to claim the oldest trophy in golf. Scott joined a list of players who threw away a major.

That was not lost on Els, whose heart sank when he looked over at the 32-year-old Australian.

“Sorry,” Els told him. “You’re a great player, a great friend of mine. I feel very fortunate. You’re going to win many of these.”

Scott might not get another chance like this.

After hitting a 3-wood into a pot bunker on the final hole, Scott had one last chance when he stood over a 7-foot par putt to force a playoff. It stayed left of the cup, and Scott dropped into a crouch. Standing off to the side, his chin quivered as the magnitude of the meltdown hit him. Instead, he mouthed one word: “Wow.”

Wow, indeed.

Even though Els had gone more than two years without winning, and had thrown away two tournaments in recent months with shaky putting, the Big Easy felt all along that something special was going to happen at this Open.

And it did — all because of a collapse by Scott that no one saw coming.

“I know I let a really great chance slip through my fingers today,” Scott said.

On a wind-swept afternoon at Royal Lytham & St. Annes that blew away the hopes of Tiger Woods and a handful of others, Scott looked steady as ever by going eight straight holes without making bogey. And that’s when it came undone.

“I had it in my hands with four to go,” Scott said.

A bogey from the bunker on the 15th cut the lead to three. That was followed by a three-putt bogey on the 16th, where his 3-foot par putt spun in and out of the cup and made the gallery gasp. From the middle of the 17th fairway, he hit a 6-iron that turned left, ran down the slope and took one last bounce in shin-high grass.

“I thought, ‘Hold on. We’ve got a problem here,’” said Graeme McDowell, playing with Scott in the final group.

By then, Els had posted a 2-under 68 with a 15-foot birdie putt on the final hole, a cheer that Scott recognized while playing the 17th. Scott failed to get up-and-down for par from the rough and suddenly was tied.

Els headed to the practice green, where it rarely works out for him. In perhaps the most crushing defeat in a career filled with them, Els was on the putting green at Augusta National in 2004 when Phil Mickelson made an 18-foot birdie putt to win the Masters.

“I just thought, ‘I’ll probably be disappointed again,’” Els said. “You’re not really hoping the guy is going to make a mistake, but you’re hoping you don’t have to go a playoff, you can win outright. This one was different, because I feel for Adam.”

Els, who started the final round six shots behind, wound up with his second Open Championship — the other one was 10 years ago at Muirfield — and fourth major championship at a stage in his career when it looked as if his best golf was behind him.

“Amazing,” Els said. “I’m still numb. It still hasn’t set in. It will probably take quite a few days because I haven’t been in this position for 10 years, obviously. So it’s just crazy, crazy, crazy getting here.”

The celebration was muted, unlike his other three majors.

“First of all, I feel for Adam Scott. He’s a great friend of mine,” Els said. “Obviously, we both wanted to win very badly. But you know, that’s the nature of the beast. That’s why we’re out here. You win. You lose. It was my time for some reason.”

The wind finally arrived off the Irish Sea and ushered in pure chaos — a mental blunder by Woods that led to triple bogey on the sixth hole, a lost ball by Brandt Snedeker that took him out of contention and a topped shot that made McDowell, a former U.S. Open champion, look like an amateur.

“I guess my disappointment kind of seems relatively stupid in relation to the guy … I’ve just seen a guy lose the Open Championship,” said McDowell, who played in the final group of a major for the second straight time.

Nothing was more stunning than what happened to Scott, who closed with a 75.

“I managed to hit a poor shot on each of the closing four holes,” Scott said. “Look, I played so beautifully for most of the week. I shouldn’t let this bring me down.”

According to ESPN Stats and Information, Scott became just the second player to have a lead of four shots or more with 54 holes left and not win the Open Championship. Jean Van De Velde in 1999 was the other.

It added another chapter to Australian heartbreak, most of that belonging to his idol, Greg Norman.

Scott was the fourth Australian since the 2007 Masters to lead going into the final round of a major, yet the proud land Down Under remains without a major since Geoff Ogilvy won the U.S. Open at Winged Foot in 2006.

“Greg was my hero when I was a kid, and I thought he was a great role model, how he handled himself in victory and defeat,” Scott said. “He set a good example for us. It’s tough. I can’t justify anything that I’ve done out there. I didn’t finish the tournament well today.

“But next time … I’m sure there will be a next time and I can do a better job of it.”

Already in the World Golf Hall of Fame, the 42-year-old Els joined even more elite company. He became only the sixth player to win the U.S. Open and Open Championship twice. The others are Jack Nicklaus, Woods, Walter Hagen, Bobby Jones and Lee Trevino.

Els also joined David Duval (2001 Open Championship, also at Royal Lytham) as the only two players since 1995 to win major championships when trailing by at least seven shots after 36 holes, according to ESPN Stats and Information. Els trailed then-leader Snedeker by seven.

Woods came undone on the sixth hole when he tried to blast out of a bunker from a plugged lie, stayed in the bunker, and three-putted for triple-bogey. Still with an outside chance after a birdie on the 12th, he stuck with his conservative plan of hitting iron off the tee and made three straight bogeys. He closed with a 73 to tie for third with Brandt Snedeker, who also had his share of problems for a 74.

Woods had his best finish in a major since he lost to Y.E. Yang in the 2009 PGA Championship, though he remains winless in the last 17.

He is 13-over on the weekend at this year’s three majors.

“It’s part of golf,” said Woods, who moves to No. 2 in the world. “We all go through these phases. Some people, it lasts entire careers. Others are a little bit shorter. Even the greatest players to ever play have all gone through little stretches like this.”

Els finished at 7-under 273. He failed to qualify for the Masters this year for the first time in nearly two decades, but that won’t be a problem now. His win gives him a five-year exemption into the majors.

It was the most shocking collapse at the Open Championship since Van de Velde took a triple bogey on the final hole at Carnoustie and lost in a playoff. But this was different. It wasn’t a last-minute blowup, more of a slow bleed, similar to Jason Dufner losing a five-shot lead to Keegan Bradley in the PGA Championship last year, or Ed Sneed making bogey on the last three holes at the 1979 Masters.

There was just enough wind to make the 206 bunkers at Royal Lytham look a little bit bigger. And as the gusts increased, a calm week turned chaotic.

It started with Woods on the sixth hole, his first triple-bogey at a major championship since he lost his ball on the opening hole at Royal St. George’s in 2003.

“One yard,” he said to his caddie, a measure of the miss. It plugged near the steep wall of a pot bunker.

And just like that, he was seven shots behind. It was the second time this year that one of golf’s biggest stars made triple-bogey in the final round of a major while in contention. Phil Mickelson made his on the fourth hole at the Masters and never recovered.

Els made a bogey on the ninth to fall six shots behind. All that did was fire him up, and he came home in 32. His 68 is best measured in these terms — of the last 12 players who teed off in the final round, no one else had better than a 72.

Yet there was one more collapse, in the final hour, and it was the one everyone will remember from this Open. It’s one Scott will somehow need to forget. As winner and runner-up met in a portable trailer before going out to the trophy presentation, Els told him: “Don’t beat yourself up.”

Keegan Bradley. Others Adjust

July 21

Associated Press

Keegan Bradley thought the closest water hazard at Royal Lytham & St. Annes was the Irish Sea about a mile away.

He found one Friday on the 15th hole.

Any other day, this would be called a pot bunker. But after a summer of endless rain in England that pushed the water table to its limit, it only took about a half-inch of rain overnight to fill the bottom of bunkers and turn dozens of them into small ponds at the Open Championship.

“I had no choice but to play it,” Bradley said.

He wasn’t alone.

Phil Mickelson had to take relief from a bunker just short of the first green. Rory Mcllroy’sball was submerged.

“I guess you just have to treat them as if they’ve got stakes around them,” said Geoff Ogilvy, who hit into a few pot bunkers in the fairway that were relatively dry. “You probably should treat them like that, anyway, because they’re pretty much a one-shot penalty, anyway.”

Bunkers are considered hazards, so Bradley’s only other options were to take a drop from casual water no closer to the hole — this would have taken him to the back edge of the sand and hit a shot with his feet outside the bunker — or take full relief on the grass short of the bunker with a one-shot penalty.

He felt as though his best chance was to blast away at half-submerged ball. It was reminiscent of Bill Haas last year at the Tour Championship, when he hit a shot out of the water on the second playoff hole at East Lake to 3 feet for an unlikely par and went on to win the $10 million FedEx Cup. That moment was not lost on Bradley’s caddie, Steve Hale, who handed him a sand wedge and said, “Just do what Bill Haas did.”

Bradley didn’t hit it that close, though it was a far tougher shot and he did well to splash it out to about 20 feet to escape with a bogey.

Two holes later, it was McIlroy’s turn. His ball was under water, but instead of taking a penalty stroke and dropping it in the fairway short of the bunker, he went to the back of the trap. Trouble is, when he made the shoulder-high drop, it plugged slightly on the down slope.

“I was hoping it wouldn’t plug and maybe have a chance to get it on the green,” McIlroy said. “But when it dropped, it plugged, and I just had to play it out sideways.”

McIlroy’s undoing came from another bunker short of the par-3 ninth green, when he took two to get out and made double-bogey. He wound up with a 75, likely ending his hopes of winning the Claret Jug.

Lytham is renowned for its bunkers — all 206 of them. It also has a history of weather. Remember, Seve Ballesteros won the Open Championships here in 1988 on a Monday because rain left so much water on the course that the final round was postponed.

Crews were using squeegees Friday morning just to allow spectators to walk, instead of swim, onto the grounds. Players still had to tiptoe around puddles in the fairways. Otherwise, the course was in reasonable condition, courtesy of the links soil that drains well.

Lytham — like the rest of England — has had its fill of rain, however. And there was nothing that could be done with the bunkers. Bradley estimates 90 percent of the traps had water in them, most of them around the greens.

“I hit it in a lot of bunkers today, and I only saw water once — on the first hole,” Mickelson said. “And I tried to look at every bunker and see what they looked like.”

The Open is not the only major with bunkers as water hazards, though it’s rare. Golf course workers often can siphon out the water and rake up the sand to make it playable. But these aren’t ordinary bunkers. They’re deep with steep walls, much like a miniature swimming pool.

No one said it was unfair. No one said the bunkers should have been declared out of play, as was the case for one bunker in the U.S Women’s Open at Newport Country Club in 2006. After all, bunkers are supposed to be hazards.

These certainly were.

“A lot of bunkers out there are pretty much out of play,” Brandon Grace of South Africa said. “That was the main goal for myself today, to stay out of them.”

Serena Out of D.C. Event to Rest Back

July 20

Associated Press

Serena Williams is going to rest her back for the Olympics.

Williams won her fifth Wimbledon title this month and eight days later captured the Bank of the West Classic in California. Olympic tennis begins July 28 at Wimbledon.

She said Friday she was pulling out of a World Team Tennis match for the Washington Kastles on Sunday. She’ll be replaced by sister Venus.

Serena Williams says she needs to rest her back after her two recent victories, adding: “I’m disappointed that I won’t be able to see my D.C. fans, but can’t wait to go for gold in London.”

Williams is the favorite in London and has never won an Olympics singles title.

Roger Federer Spoils Andy Murray Bid

July 8

Associated Press

Once the Centre Court roof was closed, nothing could stop Roger Federer from winning his record-tying seventh Wimbledon title.

The 30-year-old Federer finally equaled Pete Sampras’ record at the All England Club, and won his 17th Grand Slam title overall, by beating Andy Murray4-6, 7-5, 6-3, 6-4 on Sunday.

“I’m happy that closing the roof maybe helped me today because I wasn’t sure if that was going to help me or not,” said Federer, who took advantage of the windless court and won 65 of the 117 points played indoors.

Once Murray’s forehand landed wide on match point, Federer collapsed to the grass with tears welling in his eyes. He got up quickly and shook hands with Murray at the net.

Up in the players’ box, Federer’s wife and twin daughters cheered and smiled as he took his seat to await yet another Wimbledon trophy presentation.

“When the roof closed, he played unbelievable tennis,” Murray said.

Federer is now 17-7 in Grand Slam finals, including 7-1 at Wimbledon. Murray dropped to 0-4 in major finals, with three of those losses coming against Federer.

“It’s amazing. It equals me with Pete Sampras, who’s my hero,” said Federer, who lost in the quarterfinals at the All England Club in 2010 and ’11. “It just feels amazing.”

Besides Sampras, 1880s player William Renshaw also won seven Wimbledon titles, but he did it at a time when the defending champion was given a bye into the following year’s final.

“He doesn’t want to stop now,” Sampras said in a telephone interview of Federer. “He knows he’s going to continue to play well and try to break seven, and he could very well end up with eight or nine Wimbledons. I just think he’s that much better than the other guys on grass, and he loves the court the way I loved that court. He’s a great champion, a classy champion, and I’m really happy for him.”

Sunday’s match was the first Wimbledon singles final to be played with the roof closed. The roof was first used on Centre Court in 2009.

Britain has been waiting 76 years for a homegrown men’s champion at the All England Club, and the expectations on Murray were huge. Thousands of fans watched the match on a huge screen on “Murray Mount,” but left the grounds still waiting for a British winner.

Inside the stadium, Prince William’s wife, Kate, sat in the Royal Box along with David Beckham, British Prime Minister David Cameron and a slew of former Wimbledon champions.

Many of them left a bit disappointed as well.

“Everybody always talks about the pressure of playing at Wimbledon, how tough it is,” said Murray, who held back tears while speaking in front of the crowd. “It’s not the people watching. They make it so much easier to play. The support has been incredible, so thank you.”

With his victory, Federer regained the No. 1 ranking from Novak Djokovic, allowing him to equal Sampras’ record of 286 weeks as the top-ranked player.

“This year I guess I decided in the bigger matches to take it more to my opponent instead of waiting a bit more for the mistakes,” Federer said. “Yeah, this is I guess how you want to win Wimbledon, is by going after your shots, believing you can do it, and that’s what I was able to do today.

“It’s special.”

Murray is coached by eight-time Grand Slam champion Ivan Lendl, the only other man to lose his first four major finals.

But after going 0-9 in sets in the previous three, Murray finally won a set Sunday.

“I played better this time in the final, and that’s the main thing,” Murray said. “It’s not an easy tournament for British players in many ways, but I think I dealt with all of the extra things away from the tournament pretty well, better than maybe I had done in the past.”

At the start of the match, Murray was the one dictating play and winning the tough points. He broke Federer in the first game of the first set, then broke again late before serving it out.

The second set was much more even, and both had early break points that they couldn’t convert. Federer, however, finally got it done in the final game of the set, hitting a backhand drop volley that Murray couldn’t get to.

Both held easily to start the third set, but then the rain started abruptly, suspending play for 40 minutes. Shortly after they returned, it turned into a one-man show.

With Federer leading 3-2, they played a 26-point, 20-minute game in which Federer finally converted his sixth break point — after Murray had slipped on the grass three times. Federer lost only five points on his serve in that set.

“When we came out after the break, he was more aggressive on my serve,” Murray said. “He has excellent timing, so when there’s no wind or anything under the roof, he times the ball very, very well.”

Serena Wins 5th Wimbledon Title

July 7

Associated Press

For Serena Williams, the low point came in early 2011, when she spent hours laying around her home, overwhelmed by a depressing series of health scares that sent her to the hospital repeatedly and kept her away from tennis for 10 months.

The high point came Saturday on Centre Court at Wimbledon, when Williams dropped down to the grass, hands covering her face. She was all the way back, a Grand Slam champion yet again.

Her serve as good as there is, her grit as good as ever, Williams was dominant at the start and finish, beating Agnieszka Radwanskaof Poland 6-1, 5-7, 6-2 to win a fifth championship at the All England Club and 14th major title overall, ending a two-year drought.

“I just remember, I was on the couch and I didn’t leave the whole day, for two days. I was just over it. I was praying, like, ‘I can’t take any more. I’ve endured enough. Let me be able to get through this,’” said Williams, a former No. 1 whose ranking slid to 175th after a fourth-round loss at the All England Club last year, her second tournament back.

“Coming here and winning today is amazing,” she said. “It’s been an unbelievable journey for me.”

Certainly has.

That’s why tears flowed during the on-court trophy ceremony. And why Williams squeezed tight during post-victory hugs with her parents and older sister Venus, who has five Wimbledon titles of her own — meaning that one pair of siblings that learned to play tennis on public courts in Compton, Calif., now accounts for 10 of the past 13 trophies.

They added their fifth Wimbledon doubles championship Saturday night, teaming to beat Andrea Hlavackova and Lucie Hradecka of the Czech Republic 7-5, 6-4.

“She hasn’t had an easy road. Things have happened in her life that you can’t predict or control, so it’s hard to be in that situation. Things happen that you didn’t deserve,” said Venus, who is dealing with an autoimmune disease that can cause fatigue. “For her to fight through that and come back and be a champion. … It was definitely emotional.”

A few days after winning Wimbledon for the fourth time in 2010, Serena Williams cut both feet on broken glass while leaving a restaurant in Germany. She needed two operations on her right foot. Then she got blood clots in her lungs, for which she needed to inject herself with a blood thinner. Those shots led to a pool of blood gathering under her stomach’s skin, requiring another procedure.

“That made her realize where her life was, really, and where she really belonged and that she really loved the game,” said Williams’ mother, Oracene Price. “You never appreciate anything until you almost lose it.”

Against Radwanska, who was trying to be the first Polish Grand Slam singles champion, Williams was streaky at times, but also superb. She won the first five games and the last five. She compiled a 58-13 landslide of winners. She swatted 17 aces, including four at 114 mph, 107 mph, 115 mph, 111 mph in one marvelous game to pull even at 2-all in the third set. That was part of a momentum-swinging run when Williams claimed 15 of 18 points, and that quartet of aces raised her total for the fortnight to a tournament-record 102, surpassing her own mark of 89 in 2010; it’s also more than the top number for any man this year at Wimbledon.

“So many aces,” said Radwanska, whose two-week total was 16, “and I couldn’t do much about it.”

There had been a moment, ever so brief, when it appeared Williams might let Saturday’s match slip away. After she breezed through the first set on a day when the wind whipped and the temperature was in the mid-50s, rain arrived, causing a delay of about 20 minutes between sets.

Radwanska, who’s been fighting a respiratory illness and blew her nose at a changeover, quickly fell behind 3-1 in the second set. Right there is where she made a stand.

Williams was playing in her 18th major final; Radwanska in her first. Actually, she’d never won a match beyond the fourth round at a Grand Slam tournament until this week. So she acknowledged being “a little bit nervous in the beginning.”

But the interruption let her “cool down a little bit,” explained Radwanska, who would have risen to No. 1 in the rankings by beating Williams but instead will be No. 2 behind Victoria Azarenka. “When I was going on the court the second time, I just felt like a normal match. Didn’t seem like a final anymore, so there was not that much pressure.”

Radwanska played her usual steady game, and Williams began making more and more errors. A string of mistakes — swinging volley into the net, double-fault, backhand long, backhand into the net — let Radwanska break to even the match at one set apiece. What appeared to be a rather drab final, bereft of any drama, suddenly became interesting.

“She got a little nervous out there, in my opinion. In the second set, I think she might have thought, ‘Well, I got this here,’” said Williams’ father, Richard.

He also suspected his daughter might have been feeling a twinge of self-doubt connected to her quick exit in late May at the French Open against a woman ranked 111th, Williams’ only first-round loss in 48 career major tournaments.

Williams’ explanation for her dip against Radwanska?

“I just got too anxious,” she said, “and I shouldn’t have been so anxious.”

Probably not.

Making her Paris performance really seem like an aberration, Williams regained control down the stretch. She won a 16-stroke point with a forehand putaway to get to break point, then went up 3-2 by smacking a big return that left Radwanska flailing at a running backhand.

If Williams is mainly known for her powerful serves and groundstrokes — she produced 23 baseline winners to her opponent’s five — she also showed off a deft touch, the sort of thing in which Radwanska specializes. Ahead 4-2, Williams earned a second break with a well-disguised forehand drop shot, then raised both arms aloft.

“After that, it was: ‘I can definitely do this,’” Williams said.

While Monday’s rankings will have her listed at No. 4, there’s no doubt who is at the top of the game right now. Seeded sixth at the All England Club, Williams beat the women who were No. 2 (Azarenka), No. 3 (Radwanska) and No. 4 (defending champion Petra Kvitova).

At age 30, Williams is the oldest women’s singles champion at any major tournament since Martina Navratilova was 33 when she won Wimbledon in 1990.

And Williams sees no end in sight.

Asked Saturday evening what more she could possibly want, she replied: “Are you kidding? The U.S. Open. The Australian Open. The French Open. Wimbledon, 2013.”

Seconds later, she declared: “I have never felt better.”