Williams Starts Slow, but Defeats Clijsters

Top-seeded Serena Williams rebounded from a shaky start and defeated Kim Clijsters, 2-6, 6-3, 6-3, Sunday to win the Toyota Princess Cup at Tokyo.

Williams, the world’s No. 1 player, won her seventh title this year and improved to 5-0 against the third-seeded Clijsters.

“I feel great,” Williams said. “It was a great final and I don’t think the tennis could have been any better than it was today.

“Nobody can win every game. Kim played a very good first set and I knew I just had to pick up my game in the second set. I told myself, ‘If you don’t start playing better, you’re going to lose.’ ”

Clijsters jumped to a 4-0 lead in the first set, taking advantage of a series of unforced errors by Williams, who couldn’t find her rhythm.

Williams, who beat sister Venus earlier this month to win the U.S. Open, picked up the pace in the second set. She broke Clijsters’ serve to go up, 5-3, and then served out to win the set.

“I was just trying to find a way to get back into the match,” said Clijsters. “Just when you have a break point or something, she serves an ace and that’s what makes her such a great champion.”

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Elena Bovina of Russia won her second WTA Tour title, beating Switzerland’s Marie-Gaianeh Mikaelian, 6-3, 6-4, in the Bell Challenge at Quebec.

Motor Racing

Jimmie Johnson held off a late rush by points leader Mark Martin and tied the NASCAR Winston Cup record for victories by a rookie when he got his third this season, winning the MBNA All-American Heroes 400 at Dover International Speedway in Dover, Del.

The 27-year-old Californian matched Tony Stewart’s 1999 mark for victories by a first-year driver. Although he qualified 19th, Johnson won the $3.9-million event by half a second over Martin.

“These races are won by teamwork,” Johnson said. “The top four cars were so equal.”

Johnson took the lead for the final time on the 245th lap and Martin closed within a few car lengths, but was never able to get alongside him.

“We could get to him but we’d lose the front end,” Martin said. “We put ourselves in a pitiful position Friday with a dumb qualifying effort.”

Martin started 32nd in a field of 43. Martin, who claimed the points lead a week earlier, is 30 points ahead of Johnson with eight races left.

“Man, the 48 was fast at the end, but our car was pretty good,” he said.

It was the 108th victory for Hendrick Motorsports, a four-car team led by four-time series champion and four-time Dover winner Jeff Gordon. He and Rick Hendrick are partners in the ownership of Johnson’s Chevrolet.

“In the beginning of the year we just wanted to make races,” Hendrick said. “I had no idea that with eight races to go that we’d be in this position. He’s a heck of a talent.”

After Martin’s Ford came the Fords of Dale Jarrett and Matt Kenseth. Stewart was fifth in a Pontiac.

Larry Dixon raced to his eighth NHRA top fuel victory this season, winning O’Reilly Mid-South Nationals at Memphis Motorsports Park in Millington, Tenn.

Dixon beat Tony Schumacher with a quarter-mile run of 4.600 seconds at 318.69 mph. Schumacher finished in 4.798 at 286.64.

Tony Pedregon and Jeg Coughlin also won their divisions.

Pedregon raced to his career-high fifth funny car win this year, beating Del Worsham at 4.909 and 315.12.

Coughlin won the pro stock event, beating Gene Wilson at 6.849 and 200.80.

College Soccer

Host Loyola Marymount scored two second-half goals to upset No. 3 UCLA, 2-0, dealing the Bruins their first loss this season.

Yugi Teranishi scored in the 53th minute and Michael Erush scored on a penalty kick in the 82nd minute at Sullivan Field.

The 17th-ranked Lions improved to 6-0-2. UCLA is 4-1-0.