Serena Williams has won her first title since becoming a mother with victory in the ASB Classic Final in Auckland.
The 23-time Grand Slam winner beat Jessica Pegula 6-3 6-4 to claim her 73rd WTA title and first in three years.
Williams had not previously won a set in the any of the finals she had reached since the birth of baby Olympia in September 2017 but after falling 2-0 down in the opener she saved four break points on her way to taking it 6-3.
A first title in three years for @serenawilliams ! She beats Pegula 6-3, 6-4 at @ASB_Classic ! pic.twitter.com/EUnWlLAQQe — WTA (@WTA) January 12, 2020
The second was more straightforward as Williams created eight break chances and had four match points before sealing victory.
"It feels good," Williams said in the on-court presentation. "It's been a long time, I think you could see the relief on my face.
"It definitely feels good, I'm definitely improving as the week went on, and I needed to because it's been a lot of tough matches this week. I've played every day and I'm still here."
.@KaPliskova gets to grips with her new @BrisbaneTennis hardware 🏆 pic.twitter.com/6McIerghgz — WTA (@WTA) January 12, 2020
Williams also announced she would donate her winnings to the Australian bushfire relief fund.
In Australia, Karolina Pliskova completed a successful defence of her title at the Brisbane International with a 6-4 4-6 7-5 victory over Madison Keys.
Pliskova had to fight hard for her third career title. Keys, finding herself 6-4 3-2 down, won four of the next five games to force a third set but eventually succumbed in a contest which lasted a little over two hours.
