Serena Williams Rallies Past Justine Henin for Key Biscayne Title

Mar 31, 04:06 PM

Current Headlines: By STEVEN WINE

KEY BISCAYNE, Fla. (AP) - By the third game, Serena Williams was flailing her arms in frustration. Two games later, she threw her racket. Then she screamed at herself.

For Williams, the transformation came in the nick of time. She survived a dismal start and erased two championship points in the second set Saturday to win the Sony Ericsson Open, beating top-ranked Justine Henin 0-6, 7-5, 6-3.

The comeback was nothing new for Williams, who revived her career by winning the Australian Open in January for her eighth Grand Slam title. Once ranked No. 1, she fell to 140th last July because of long layoffs but will climb back to 11th next week.

The match was 39 minutes old before Williams won a game, and Henin was twice one point from the title serving at 5-4 in the second set. Williams saved both points, including one where her return clipped the net cord, keeping her in the match by perhaps an inch.

Henin slipped and took an awkward tumble during that game, skinning her left knee, and lost the next six points. She fell again trailing 3-0 in the final set and remained seated on the concrete for nearly a minute, as if debating whether to concede.

The feisty Belgian rose and rallied for 3-all, before Williams began one final surge. She converted her first championship point, curling in a 77-m.p.h. kick serve that handcuffed Henin, giving Williams her fourth Key Biscayne title.

Playing in only her seventh tournament in the past 18 months - and her first since Melbourne - Williams improved to 41-5 in the event and 15-1 this year.