ROME, Italy – Serena Williams emerged victorious in the first all-American final since 2012 – the first on red clay since 2002 – defeating countrywoman Madison Keys, 7-6(5), 6-3, to snap a nine-month title drought and win the Internazionali BNL d’Italia for the fourth time in her illustrious career.
Playing in her third final of 2016, Williams had spent the season in search of her first title since the Western & Southern Open last summer, and was the heavy favorite to break that duck against Keys, who was playing the biggest final of her career on what had hitherto been her least favorite surface.
Serving for the match in the second, there would be one final momentum shift as the 21-time Grand Slam champion was broken one game from the win, but the break was swiftly repaid in kind and Williams was the winner of a 70th career title – the fifth woman to achieve such a total in singles after Martina Navratilova, Chris Evert, Steffi Graf, and Margaret Court. In all, she hit four fewer winners than Keys (13 to 17), but also eight fewer errors (24 to 32), and converted all but one of her six break point chances to seal the match in just under 90 minutes.
Serena Williams salio victoriosa en la primera final entre Americanas desde el 2010, la primera en cancha de ladrillo desde el 2002, para superar a su compatriota Madison Keys en sets corridos con parciales de 7-6 y 6-3 y asi ganar el Internacionali d’Italia por cuarta ocasion en su ilustre carrera…
Jugando su tercera final del 2016, Williams buscando su primer titulo desde el pasado verano…y desde luego era la favorita frente a Keys, quien jugana su primera final en esta superficie en su carrera…
Al final Serena ogra el titulo 70 de su carrera, quinta dama que logra tal record junto a Martina Navratilova, Chris Evert, Steffei Graf y Margarita Court.