Williams Extends Her Streak

Serena Williams defeated Amelie Mauresmo of France, 6-3, 6-2, Sunday to win the Gaz de France, her first tournament since capturing the Australian Open.

The world’s top-ranked woman was undeterred by a noisy, partisan crowd in Paris, winning in 64 minutes for her second title in this event and the 21st of her career. She has won 11 consecutive matches this year -- seven at Australia and four in Paris.

“I’m real pleased to win here,” said Williams, who has won four straight majors. “Because sometimes you do well in Grand Slams and then don’t win the smaller championships. I think everything counts.”

The third-seeded Mauresmo was making a comeback at this tournament after a four-month layoff because of a knee injury. She has lost to Williams in all six of their matches.

“I needed to play good,” Williams said. “I told myself if I didn’t play my top game Amelie could win.”

Winter Sports

Melanie Turgeon won the downhill at the World Alpine Championships at St. Moritz, Switzerland. It was Canada’s first world title in 10 years.

Alexandra Meissnitzer of Austria and Corinne Rey-Bellet of Switzerland shared the silver medal.

Turgeon was timed in 1 minute 34.30 seconds. Meissnitzer was 0.11 seconds behind and tied for second with Rey-Bellet, who had been leading before Turgeon’s run.

Jonna Mendes was the fastest U.S. skier, finishing sixth. Kirsten Clark was 19th, Libby Ludlow 23rd and Caroline Lalive 30th.

Turgeon’s victory came 10 years after Kate Pace won the downhill for Canada at the world championships in Morioka, Japan.

Ole Einar Bjorndalen of Norway and Kati Wilhelm of Germany won World Cup biathlon races at Lahti, Finland.

Bjorndalen, the World Cup leader, won a 15-kilometer event in 40 minutes 42.9 seconds, two seconds ahead of Oleg Ryzhenkov of Belarus.

Bjorndalen increased his lead in the World Cup by 22 points. He is 28 points ahead of Raphael Poiree of France. Bjorndalen has 524 points. Poiree, who finished ninth, has 496.

Wilhelm led a 1-2 finish for Germany in a 12.5-kilometer event. She was 19 seconds ahead of Martina Glagow and 22.4 ahead of World Cup leader Ekaterina Dafovska of Bulgaria.

Three-time Olympic champion Georg Hackl of Germany won the final luge World Cup singles race, but Markus Kleinheinz of Austria, who finished third, clinched the season title.

Hackl finished in 1 minute 40.485 seconds at Winterberg, Germany, recording the best times in both heats.

Kleinheinz, making a comeback this season from a two-year drug suspension, earned 595 points to Hackl’s 590 in the seven-race season.

Noriaki Kasai and Hideharu Miyahira of Japan finished first and second in a World Cup ski jump that was cut to one attempt because of strong wind in Willingen, Germany. It’s the first time a Japanese jumper has finished higher than third this season.

Sven Hannawald of Germany, the overall World Cup leader, was 36th with a jump of 108 meters for 86.4 points. Kasai received 167.1 points on his jump of 147 meters, followed by Hideharu at 161.7 on a jump of 144 meters.

Hannawald has 1,001 points after 22 events. Andreas Widhoezl of Austria is second at 990. Janne Ahonen of Finland is third with 964.

Miscellany

Playing their fourth game in five nights, the Long Beach Ice Dogs lost to the Bakersfield Condors, 5-2, in a West Coast Hockey League game in front of 5,095 at Centennial Gardens in Bakersfield.