Serena Williams rallies to claim 49th WTA title

CHARLESTON, South Carolina: Serena Williams earned her 49th career singles title and third of the year by rallying to beat former world number one Jelena Jankovic in the final of the Family Circle Cup on Sunday.

Williams successfully defended her title 3-6, 6-0, 6-2 one day after routing her sister Venus in the semi-finals.

This was her third overall Charleston crown as she has won 22 consecutive clay court matches at WTA Tour events and Fed Cup and 15 straight matches in Charleston. That includes titles last year and 2008.

Bad blood between the two surfaced early in the second set with Jankovic serving after having just won the first set.

Jankovic was in mid-swing on a serve when Williams stopped and held up her racquet indicating she wasn't ready to play the point. The two then verbally sparred with Williams telling Jankovic to "wait until I am ready."

Serbian Jankovic, who won this event five years ago, was aiming for her
14th career title. The ninth-seeded Jankovic had won 14 of her previous 16 matches.

Jankovic dropped to 4-6 all-time in matchups against Williams.

Williams clinched the title on her third championship point with a backhand winner to the open court that Jankovic couldn't get to.

Williams double faulted on the first championship point and then hammered a backhand into the net on the second one for a rare unforced error in the match. (AFP)