Venus claims 44th career title

LUXEMBOURG: US veteran Venus Williams won her 44th career title on Sunday, and first in over two and a half years, when she brushed aside Romanian Monica Niculescu in straight sets in the Luxembourg Open final.

Playing in the 71st final of her career, the 32-year-old Williams won 6-2, 6-3 in her first meeting with the 25-year-old from Bucharest.

Williams' career haul of 44 WTA titles is second-most among active players, trailing only her sister Serena, who has won 45 and could make that 46 as she plays the WTA Championships in Istanbul this week.

Williams' last title came at Acapulco in February 2010, before her career went into freefall.

She missed most of the second half of 2010 with a knee injury, most of the first half of 2011 with hip and abdominal injuries and, most recently, a seven-month lay-off between September 2011 and March 2012 due to illness.

"My main goal coming here was to make the top 32 and be seeded going into the Australian Open. I hope I'm somewhere in the top 32 now. But wherever I end up, it's just very rewarding to win here after facing a lot of challenges," she said. (AFP)