16 Jan 2010

Dementieva beats Serena Williams in Sydney final

6:40 am on 16 January 2010

The Russian tennis player Elena Dementieva has beaten a hobbling Serena Williams 6-3 6-2 to win the Sydney International for the second year in a row.

Dementieva completely outplayed the American world number one, who was troubled by a sore left knee that restricted her movement.

Williams started the match with the knee already strapped and although she finished the match, she seemed distracted by the injury, missing a string of shots she would normally make in a worrying sign ahead of next week's Australian Open.

Dementieva's win provided her with her 15th WTA title and her second in Sydney after she beat Dinara Safina in last year's final.