Serena Makes an Official Return to No.1

It's been a long time coming, but Serena has finally made an official return to No. 1 following a marathon win over former Wimbledon champ, Petra Kvitova, in the quarterfinals in Doha. The victory was enough to see her overcome current leader, Victoria Azarenka.
The American was the dominant figure in women's tennis for the past year, winning all the big prizes. Following a shocking first round exit at the French, the all time great went on an outstanding 52-2 win-loss match record, which comprised titles at Wimbledon, the Olympics, the US Open, and ultimately, the Season's Ending Championships. However, the other stand-out player of 2012, Victoria Azarenka, endured a longer schedule and her consistent results eventually did enough to maintain the year-end no.1 spot. At the start of the season though, the edgy Belorussian was under immense pressure to retain her status, but a successful defence of her Australian Open crown kept Williams away. It wasn't to be for long however, as a semifinal berth in Doha would automatically see the American return to the top of the rankings for the first time since 2010.
Visibly nervous and struggling to find her best form, Serena found herself in trouble against the powerful Czech. Kvitova won the first set and was up 4-1 in the decider, but in the trademark Williams style, she hit back. I've always believed that one the stiffest tests in women's tennis is winning that final point against Serena. She is such a great competitor and has such a strong belief in her game, that she can overcome any deficit against any player, so only a selected few can close her off. Unfortunately for Petra, she couldn't and Williams sealed off a marathon 3-6,6-3,7-5 win to officially recapture her undisputed credentials as the world's best player.
"I'm so sensitive nowadays, I'm always crying! I've just been through so much and never thought I'd be here again," Serena confessed during her on-court interview. "I am so thankful that I have the opportunity to get back to No.1. It has been a long road back and it's a great feeling. It has been a lot of hard work but I don't want to stop here."

At 31 years, four months and 24 days, she becomes the oldest woman to top the ranking, eclipsing compatriot Chris Evert, who was 30 years, 11 months and three days when she last held the ranking in 1985. On Monday, February 18, Williams will begin her 124th non-consecutive week at No.1.

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