Serena Williams has recaptured the Sony Ericsson Open with an astonishing 0-6 7-5 6-3 victory over world number 1 Justine Henin that held the stadium court audience captive for nearly two and a half hours.

The Australian Open champion saved two consecutive match points in the second set before going on to take the trophy and a cheque for $533,350. Williams has now won the title four times following her success here between 2002 and 2004.
"Even though I was down, I was never out", said a jubilant Williams. "I kept fighting, and it was important not to surrender. I never threw up the white flag."

Henin raced through the opening set in 27 minutes without losing a game with three consecutive breaks of the Williams serve as the American struggled to find any kind of consistency on her groundstrokes, particularly her powerful backhand that was spraying losers all over the court.

After dropping her serve at the start of the second set, Williams fought her way back into the match, breaking the Belgian on her fourth break point as Henin put her forehand drive long under intense pressure from the baseline.

That first game gave Williams some impetus for the match to launch her comeback. However, she dropped her serve in the seventh game when Henin struck an off-forehand return winner, but then broke back immediately for 4-4. Henin broke again and served for the title. With a service winner Henin found herself at two championship points, and all present in the stadium except Ms S Williams must have thought the match was over.

Williams saved both match points; the first when a Henin attempted backhand pass off a smash found the net and the second with a ferocious forehand crosscourt drive that was executed with such power that Henin running at full tilt and at full stretch could not return it into the court. Two points later it was 5-5 to a collective roar that probably could be heard in downtown Miami as Henin netted her backhand.

Williams held to love and then levelled at a set all when Henin drove her backhand wide at set point as the stadium erupted once again.

Williams raced into a 3-0 lead in the final set with more efficient hitting from the baseline, conservatively executing her strokes and waiting for the Henin errors that were appearing with more regularity.

Henin was not done though; after Williams gave herself a point for 4-0 with forehand winner that caught the sideline, Henin fought her way back into the match by holding her serve, and then breaking with a forehand winner that beat Williams for pace to her backhand wing at the baseline.

The Belgian held to love to level at 3-3; Williams responded with a love game of her own.

The match at this point was evenly poised, with neither lady seemingly willing to concede.

Henin serving at 3-4 found herself at 15-40 down after delivering a nervy double fault. With an intimidating deep return, Williams rushed Henin into a backhand error as the Belgian attempted to rip a quick winner but instead found the tramlines.

Serving for the title at 5-4, Williams fought her way back from 0-40 with a backhand winner, a service winner, and another backhand winner that thundered down the line beating the Belgian for sheer pace at the baseline.

With a service winner, Williams found herself at championship point. She sealed her famous victory with a second serve winner that kicked to Henin's backhand which the hapless Belgian floated out.

In the final analysis, the statistics suggest that Henin should have won the match with 28 winners v 27; 36 unforced errors v 44; 7/17 break points converted v 6/13; 103 points v 99. However, the one imponderable that a set of statistic figures cannot fathom is the intimidating Serena Williams and the X factor fighting quality she possesses that enables her to leave with the silverware against all the odds.

Williams tried to explained her fighting spirit during the crises moments of the match.

"I feel like when I'm down, a part of me just plays better, and I think all champions have that, when they get down, you can't hold them down", she said. "I just think, okay, it's not over, I've got to play better.
"She played really well in the first set, and I made a lot of errors. She was attacking and I was way behind the baseline. I wasn't doing the right things that I needed to do. I think it boiled down to me making so many errors and not making my shots."

Looking ahead, Williams believes that having scooped the two biggest tournaments of the year so far, she can build on her success.

"I can only go up", she said. "I have no points to defend until Cincinnati which is a tier 3, and I didn't do well at the Open. I'm just playing with a no-lose attitude. It's fun. I'm not going to stop here, I'm going to continue to work hard."
Although Henin recognised that she had squandered her opportunities, she recognised that it was ultimately the fighting qualities of Williams that had caused the American to prevail.

"I was playing a good game, I was really aggressive", Henin explained. "But when I had to close the match, I got maybe a little tense. Serena is a fighter; she never gives up. She proved it on the matchpoints because she took her chances at the time and played really aggressive. She played better than me on the important points. I'm a little bit disappointed for sure, but also I take a lot of positive things from this tournament to go back home."

Andre Jones

Crandon Park
Key Biscayne