Venus fights back to lift her first title of the year

Venus Williams beat Conchita Martinez in her first final of the year last night, winning the Family Circle Cup in Charleston, South Carolina after a 2-6, 6-2, 6-1 victory over the Spaniard.

In the semi-finals on Saturday, Williams had dispensed of the unseeded Jelena Kostanic, of Croatia, 6-4, 6-1, while Martinez beat the Swiss player Patty Schnyder 6-4, 6-3 in a fiery semi-final in which the players taunted each other at the net before Schnyder refused to shake hands at the end.

Andy Roddick had little trouble advancing to his fourth straight final at the US Men's Clay Court Championship in Houston. The American cruised through with a 6-3, 6-4 victory over Luis Horna of Peru and last night was due to meet the German Tommy Haas, who beat Andrei Pavel 6-4, 6-7, 6-4, in his semi.