AFP, Auckland :
Venus Williams bounced back from defeat after a disastrous first set to beat top seed Caroline Wozniacki in the Auckland Classic final on Saturday.
It was the 46th career title for the seven-time Grand Slam champion, who showed her guile in the showdown between the two former world number ones to win 2-6, 6-3, 6-3 in just under two hours.
Wozniacki controlled the pace of the match through the first nine games, breaking Williams in the third and fifth to take the first set.
When she broke again at the start of the second it was the wake up call Williams needed-the serve that had deserted the 34-year-old until then suddenly found its mark and her powerful ground strokes stayed in.
“The first set went fast and then it was like, ‘time to take it to three’.
I tried to stay level-headed in the second and that worked,” Williams said.
“It felt good to figure it out and run away with it a little bit.”
