Serena Williams Conquers Li Na in Instabul

Serena Williams ended her best season in suitable style, coming from behind to beat Li Na 2-6, 6-3, 6-0 Today for her second straight WTA Championships title.

Williams collected her 11th title of the year and became the first player to repeat as champion at the season-ending event since Justine Henin in 2007.

The American won her fourth WTA Championship, having captured the elite tournament for the top eight players also in her debut in 2001 and in 2009 and 2012.

Williams has won 78 of 82 matches this year and will finish the year as the top-ranked player for the third time in her career after 2002 and 2009. Williams' titles this year included the French and U.S. Opens for a total of 17 Grand Slam crowns. Her winning percentage of .951 is the best on the tour since 1990. Martina Navratilova had an 86-1 record and a .989 percentage in 1983.

Still, Williams said she would have preferred to have won at least one more Grand Slam title.

"I live to win slams. I mean, obviously I'm so excited to be the WTA champion," Williams said. "I can't say it's the best (season). I can't say it's not the best. I don't know. I really don't know."

Li got off to a better start over a sluggish-looking Williams, who struggled a day earlier to beat Jelena Jankovic and complained later of being exhausted after a long season.

"I felt good this morning, much better than I did yesterday, but then in practice I was like, 'Oh, no.' I was a little worried, but I just hung in there and just kept going and going," Williams said.

Li was in her first WTA Championships final and will finish the year at a career-high No. 3.

Williams sank to her knees after firing a backhand winner on her second match point. She became the eighth female player to win 11 or more titles a year and the first since Martina Hingis claimed 12 in 1997.

The final featured two players above the age of 30 for the first time in the championships' 43-year history. Williams is 32 and Li is 31 but both are playing some of their best tennis. Congrats to Them!