Serena Williams successfully defends title at Western & Southern Open - Los Angeles Times
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Serena Williams successfully defends title at Western & Southern Open

Serena Williams is congratulated by Simona Halep after winning the Western & Southern Open on Sunday.

Serena Williams is congratulated by Simona Halep after winning the Western & Southern Open on Sunday.

(Maddie Meyer / Getty Images)
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Serena Williams got her name on the Rookwood Trophy for the second time on Sunday, beating Simona Halep, 6-3, 7-6 (5), for back-to-back titles at the Western & Southern Open.

Williams heads into the U.S. Open trying to become the first player since Steffi Graf in 1988 to pull off a calendar Grand Slam sweep.

It took Williams six tries before she got her first title. Federer has never failed.

Halep was the runner-up at Toronto a week earlier and was hoping to beat Williams for the second time in less than a year — she upset her at the WTA Finals in October.

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Halep broke Williams’ serve to open the match, but couldn’t sustain it.

Williams won four of the last six points in the tiebreaker, winning it when Halep sliced a backhand shot into the net. And then, the talk about the Grand Slam sweep began.

“I know you can do four,” Halep told her during the trophy presentation.

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