Serena as hungry as ever

No end in sight for rampant champion as she has set her sights on another Grand Slam title at the Australian Open next January, as Tang Zhe reports in Istanbul

Despite being the oldest player at the WTA Championships in Istanbul, Serena Williams remains one of the most driven stars on the tour.

"I can't wait to get to Australia, I wish it (the Australian Open) started next month," said the 31-year-old after beating world No 1 Victoria Azarenka 6-4, 6-4 to sweep through her group with three wins at the WTA Championships in Istanbul.

Coming back from an illness-plagued season in 2011, the American put together a compact schedule this year which ultimately saw her win her 14th and 15th Grand Slam titles - at Wimbledon and the US Open - two years after her last major win at Wimbledon.

"I have played a full schedule this year, and it was really good for me to play a lot, which goes to show you that I'm still really, really motivated to do well and I want to do a very similar schedule next year," Williams said.

The year-end Championships is her first event since her US Open triumph.

"I felt like I was practicing too much, and that if I hit another practice ball I was going to go nuts," she said of the break between events. "So I just really wanted a match. I was glad I played first on the first day, because I was like, if I have another practice day, I don't know if I can handle it."

Williams defeated Azarenka, world No 5 Angelique Kerber and China's Li Na in straight sets to top the Red Group. The game against the top-ranked Azarenka on Thursday was widely regarded as a "who is the best?" competition between the current No 1 and the US star, who has spent a total of 123 weeks at the women's tennis summit.

"She's a really good player, and I was just able to play better than I did in my first couple rounds, and that was what I was going to have to do going up against the No 1 player in the world." said Williams, who now holds a 12-1 career record against the Belarussian.

"I've been No 1 and I would love to be No 1 again. I think maybe one day I will. But for me, I just feel if I keep winning majors and tournaments like this, and playing well and consistently, the ranking will come."

(China Daily 10/27/2012 page16)