SERENA

BEATS

SHARAPOVA

TO WIN

MADRID OPEN

TITLE

MADRID, Spain — Serena Williams kept the No. 1, and added No. 50.

Williams beat Maria Sharapova 6-1, 6-4 in the final of the Madrid Open Sunday to both retain her No. 1 ranking and collect her 50th career title. The second-ranked Russian would have overtaken the top spot with a win, but Williams stormed out to an early lead as Sharapova struggled with her serve.

“It feels good,” Williams said about reaching her 50th title. “I don’t know how many more I can win. Who knows if I will ever win another title? I just want to live the dream. Hopefully I can keep it going.

“When you first start out everything is so exciting. Now I expect to win.”

Williams improved her record against Sharapova to 13-2, with her only two losses coming in 2004.

The 31-year-old Williams, playing in…

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