Victory timely boost for Graf

Steffi Graf won her first tournament since May 1997 and the 104th title of her career on Saturday when she beat Jana Novotna 6-4, 6-1 in the Pilot Pen International.

The victory marked the first major stepping stone of the German's comeback from injury. She was out of the game from June of last year after undergoing knee surgery, returning briefly for two tournaments in February. But it was not until June that she was able to compete regularly once again.

A weary Novotna played a large part in Graf's victory, failing to compete at all in the second set after being broken to love to concede the first. But the fourth-seeded German deserved her triumph on the basis of her first set performance alone.

"I was very tired from playing night matches and a lot of tennis this week," said Novotna, who played doubles until after 10 p.m. the night before the final. "With her you have to be 100 per cent sharp, and Steffi was on top of her game.

The win sets her up for a tilt at the US Open which begins today at the National Tennis Centre.

Also hoping for a good tournament is Venus Williams who said: "My goal this year is definitely to win the tournament. I think there is no other option available," said Williams, who will be seeded fifth at the year's final Grand Slam tournament.

The lofty expectations of the 18-year-old American are quite different from what she was looking to do last year, Williams recalled during a promotional appearance this week.

"I'm not sure what I thought coming into the Open (last year). I think my goal was the quarterfinals and then be serious after that. I did better," said Williams, who became the first unseeded woman finalist at the Open since 1958, before her amazing run ended with a loss to Martina Hingis.

"I'm a smarter player. I make better decisions on the court," Williams said in analysing her game.

"I think I know how to get myself out of tough situations, when to get a first serve in, how to play a shot, find somebody's weakness," said Williams, who won her first career singles titles this year at Oklahoma City and then added the prestigious Lipton International title.

"I think my chances are much better," noted Williams, who opens her second US Open campaign against Elena Wagner of Germany.

A bout of tendinitis in the left knee this month disrupted her preparation and forced her out of last week's Canadian Open, leaving Williams with a few lingering doubts about her fitness for the two-week hardcourt tournament.

"I just really need to take good care of myself and not play too much, not have any hard matches," said Williams, who had a noticeable limp and did not dismiss the prospect of wearing a support bandage next week.

"Maybe I should ask my opponents to go easy on me a little bit," joked Williams.

And if she falls short of her US Open goal? "I think I would still have had a good year no matter how I did here."