Turkey rising?

Serena Williams of the US holds up her trophy after her victory over Maria Sharapova of Russia in the final of the WTA Championships in Istanbul on Sunday. The 31-year-old's victory came at the end of a spectacular year in which she also collected the Wimbledon, Olympic and US Open singles titles. "Now that I can be honest, I really wanted to win and win this title and put a little pressure on myself," said Williams, whose career head-to-head record over Sharapova now stands at 10-2. "I wanted it so bad, I didn't want to say it. I had such a good year, it really was important to me to win, and this title in particular." Associated Press