WIMBLEDON, England —
Serena Williams is back, and she looks almost as good as ever.
The 30-year-old American won her fifth Wimbledon title Saturday on Centre Court, beating Agnieszka Radwanska of Poland 6-1, 5-7, 6-2 to claim her 14th major championship.
“It's been an unbelievable journey for me," said Williams, who has battled health issues since winning the 2010 Wimbledon title. "I feel amazing out there. This whole tournament I felt really great physically. So I think it's definitely the beginning of something great. I hope it is."
After hitting a backhand winner on match point, she fell onto her back to the grass. She then rose with a grin as big sister Venus -- another five-time Wimbledon champion -- smiled and applauded, along with the rest of the crowd.
After shaking hands with Radwanska, Williams climbed into the box where her family was seated. She hugged her father, Venus, their mother and others.
"I think when you go through a lot of tough things you just kind of let down your guard a little bit and just be yourself," Williams said. "I love being me. I'm a normal person. I like it when people get to see that side of me."
Out on court, Williams had little trouble at the start, using her hard serve and powerful groundstrokes to win the first five games and run Radwanska all over the grass.
Radwanska, who was playing in her first Grand Slam final, has been ill with a respiratory problem, making it difficult for her to speak. In the second set and already down a break, the third-seeded Pole was coughing and blowing her nose during a changeover.
But she broke Williams in the next game to even the score at 4-4, and then broke again to win the second set.
"She started playing really, really well," Williams said. "She started playing excellent grass court tennis, getting a lot of balls back, and I panicked a little bit and I shouldn't have."
Williams responded in the third set, taking the last five games of the match. She finished with 58 winners to 13 for Radwanska, including a 20-3 edge in the final set. Williams lost only eight points on her first serve.
"I really had my chances, and I took the second set," Radwanska said. "Then I think she was just too good in important moments in the third set, so it was too hard for me to come back."
The match was played with the Centre Court roof open, and it was delayed by rain for a short time after the first set.
Radwanska would have taken over the No. 1 ranking with a win. Instead, Australian Open champion Victoria Azarenka will reclaim the top spot from Maria Sharapova.
Later Saturday, Serena and Venus Williams will play in the doubles final.
A little more than a month ago, many started writing off Williams for good. She lost in the first round of this year's French Open, the first time she had ever exited a Grand Slam tournament that early.
But at Wimbledon, she looked every bit a champion again.
She broke her own tournament record for aces in a match with 23 against Jie Zheng in the third round. Less than a week later, she eclipsed that mark with 24 against Azarenka in the semifinals.
On Saturday, she finished with 17 aces -- including four in one game -- and a record 102 for the tournament.
"I can't describe why it was so good or how it was so good," Williams said of her serve. "I just had the rhythm, you know, kind of felt it."
It was Williams' first Grand Slam title since she won at the All England Club two years ago. Shortly after winning that title, Williams cut her feet on glass at a restaurant, leading to a series of health problems, including being hospitalized for clots in her lungs.
"Yeah, gosh, definitely had some lows," Williams said. "I had a tube in my stomach and it was draining constantly. Gosh, I mean, right before that I had the blood clot. I had lung problems. Then I had two foot surgeries. It was a lot."
Williams is the first woman in her 30s to win a Wimbledon title since Martina Navratilova, who won at the All England Club in 1990 when she was 33.
In the men's final on Sunday, six-time Wimbledon champion Roger Federer will face British hope Andy Murray. The fourth-seeded Murray is trying to become the first British man to win the title at the All England Club since Fred Perry in 1936.
Local Sports
Related Photos
-
Serena Williams, of the United States, celebrates her fifth Wimbledon Championship on Saturday after a three-set win over Agnieszka Radwanska of Poland (6-1, 5-7, 6-2). The win was her 14th career major championship. The Associated Press
Discussion
Serena Williams needs three sets, wins 5th Wimbledon
- Local Sports
-
-
Sending the Blazers off
The Valdosta State softball team made the long journey to Salem, Va. Tuesday, leaving Valdosta at 10:30 a.m. with devoted fans cheering them out of the parking lot.
-
All-Region teams announced
Lowndes was one win away from a trip to the Class AAAAAA state semifinals, and the success by the Vikings this season showed when the All-Region 1 baseball teams were announced Monday.
-
Lowndes tennis dominates
Lowndes’ tennis team dominated the All-Region 1 teams, with coach Heath Phelps garnering Coach of the Year honors on both the girls’ and boys’ side.
-
Banks Lake Youth Fishing Derby a success
The 13th annual Banks Lake Youth Fishing Derby held May 11 drew 150 children from ages 3 to 15 who competed for trophies while learning how to fish.
-
Valdosta's Alakulppi ties for 2nd at state
Valdosta freshman golfer Luukas Alakulppi fired a 71 to finish in a tie for second at the Class AAAAAAA state golf tournament in Tifton.
-
Brooks County's Parrish in Rivals Top 100
Brooks County rising senior Malkolm Parrish is ranked the 73rd best high school football prospect in the nation, according to the release of the Rivals.com Top 100.
-
Summer camp information
VSU baseball camp coming soon
-
Prince Automotive donates new baseball equipment
Prince Automotive of Valdosta is supporting the Valdosta community through its partnership with the Valdosta/Lowndes County Recreation Department. The dealership has joined forces with the national Chevrolet Youth Baseball program to provide new equipment, instructional clinics, and a monetary donation.
-
Needmore holds final races before big Memorial Day weekend
Saturday night racing at Needmore Speedway saw some new faces in victory lane.
That wasn’t the case in the Late Model division, as Valdosta's Gene Ross drove to victory once again, but not without some close competition from Steven Roberts who came in second.
In the Limited Late Model class, it was another win for Cole Exum, with Gene Maine finishing second in the NAPA Auto Parts special. -
VSU softball wins South Region, headed to nationals
For the third time in four years, and second in a row, Valdosta State’s softball team will play in the national championship tournament.
The Blazers won their third South Region championship Saturday, beating Alabama-Huntsville 8-3 in game three of the best-of-three series at Steel’s Diamond at Blazer Park. - More Local Sports Headlines
-
