World number one Serena Williams beat in-form Kim Clijsters to win back the singles title in the Princess Cup final today.
Williams had to dig deep to recover from one set down for a 2-6, 6-3, 6-3 victory over the Belgian third seed.
The match was interrupted twice - first after the five-minute warm-up due to rain and then for 30 minutes by lighting failure.
Clijsters appeared more focused in the early stages, combining angled returns with hard-hit groundstrokes to break the first and third games.
Williams hit an awesome smash at 30-40 to break back in the sixth, but Clijsters fired a marvellous service return winner and then forced Williams to misfire a backhand before taking the set.
Both Williams and Clijsters tightened up their game in the next set and neither had a break opportunity until the eighth game when Williams hit a backhanded passing shot at 15-40. She hit ace number five in the ninth to level the match.
In the final set Williams stepped up the pace, showing the form that brought her the French Open, Wimbledon and US Open crowns.
After losing the third game, Clijsters hit a seventh double fault to go 0-40 in the ninth game at 3-5 down.
The Belgian managed to save three match points but then a Williams' forehand return hit the top of the net and dribbled in. Clijsters picked it up but her shot landed in the net.
AFP