BRISBANE — Serena Williams proved the break between seasons hasn't hurt her momentum, capturing her 47th career title with a comprehensive 6-2, 6-1 victory over Anastasia Pavlyuchenkova Saturday in the Brisbane International final. Williams has won 35 of her past 36 matches, including titles at Wimbledon, the Olympics, the US Open, the season-ending championship and now the first event of 2013. She already has won the Australian Open five times, and with the season's first major a little more than a week away, she's in good shape to add another one. The Brisbane final was all over in 50 minutes, with Williams dictating terms from the first break of serve in the sixth game. “I always feel like I don't know how to play tennis when I play against you,” Pavlyuchenkova told Williams at the trophy presentation. The pair had traveled together on a training trip to Mauritius in the offseason but didn't really hit against each other at the time. “But this was true what I said,” the No. 36-ranked Pavlyuchenkova, who has won 3 WTA Tour titles and more than $2.8 million in prize money, later said of her post-match assessment. In the men's draw, defending champion Andy Murray advanced to the final when fifth-seeded Kei Nishikori retired with an injured left knee while trailing 6-4, 2-0 in their semifinal earlier Saturday. The Olympic and US. Open champion will next meet 21-year-old Grigor Dimitrov, who is starting to live up to his billing as a star-in-the-making by reaching his first ATP Tour final with a 6-3, 5-7, 7-6 (5) victory over Marcos Baghdatis. Li bags Shenzhen title Top seed Li Na survived a mid-match meltdown to overcome Czech Klara Zakopalova 6-3, 1-6, 7-5 in the final of the inaugural Shenzhen Open Saturday, earning the Chinese a seventh career title. In a topsy-turvy finish encapsulating the match, Li collected herself to put together two solid games and give her a boost ahead of the Australian Open, which begins on Jan. 14. The $500,000 Shenzhen tournament became the third event in China on the WTA calendar for 2013 as tennis continues to expand in the country after Li's recent success. Radwanska wins in Auckland World No. 4 Agnieszka Radwanska of Poland moved her Australian Open preparation into high gear when she beat Belgium's Yanina Wickmayer 6-4, 6-4 to win the ASB Classic, her 11th career title. Playing her first tournament since October, Radwanska dropped only one set in five matches to claim the Auckland singles crown at her first attempt. She showed no signs of rustiness in her first tournament since October and said she felt confident as she headed toward the first Grand Slam of the season. “I couldn't imagine a better start to the year,” Radwanska said. “It's the perfect preparation for the Australian Open.”— Agencies
