WUHAN, China - It may not have ended the way she wanted, but Venus Williams won her biggest title in more than five years at the Premier 5-level Dongfeng Motor Wuhan Open on Saturday afternoon.
Watch highlights, interviews and more video from Wuhan right here on wtatennis.com!
The early goings were close - the unseeded Williams and Garbiñe Muguruza, the No.6 seed, traded breaks twice in the first seven games, with Williams emerging out of that up 4-3 in the first set.
But from there an injured Muguruza's level dropped off and Williams' level got better and better, and after losing five straight games and the scoreline at 6-3, 3-0, Muguruza was forced to retire.
At the end of the day, though, Williams collected the 47th WTA title of her illustrious career, and more importantly her biggest in more than five years - her last title at the Premier 5 level or higher came at another Premier 5-level event, the Dubai Duty Free Tennis Championships, in February 2010.
She very nearly didn't even make the final, though. Williams had to rally from 5-3 down in the third set to edge inspired British qualifier Johanna Konta in the quarterfinals, 6-4, 3-6, 7-5, and she was even down match point during a 5-7, 6-2, 7-6(4) semifinal nail-biter over No.15 seed Roberta Vinci.
But there's a reason Williams is a former World No.1 and seven-time Grand Slam champion - that fighting spirit came out every time she was down, and now the American lifts her latest WTA trophy.
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