Serena Williams' streak ends at 18

Kim Clijsters joined four others as the only players to beat the American this year.
LOS ANGELES (AP) -- Kim Clijsters did something only four other players have this year: beat Serena Williams.
Clijsters defeated Williams 7-5, 6-3 on Monday night at the season-ending WTA Championships -- the biggest event other than the Grand Slam tournaments. She also ended Williams' 18-match winning streak and her own five-match losing streak to the American.
"It feels amazing. I don't think I'm realizing at the moment what I've done," she said. "I couldn't believe when she missed that match point. I had goosebumps all over my body."
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Clijsters, a 19-year-old Belgian who is projected to finish fourth in the final WTA Tour rankings, only managed six winners to 19 by Williams, but she converted five of 10 break chances in the nearly 1 1/2-hour match at Staples Center in front of 10,232.
"It's been an incredible week for me," said Clijsters, who defeated No. 2 Venus Williams in the semifinals when she retired with an injured leg.
Clijsters became the first player since Martina Hingis in the 2001 Australian Open to beat the Williams sisters in the same tournament and only the fourth ever.
"I know that if I keep my consistency up throughout the whole match, I'm capable of getting close to winning matches against them," Clijsters said. "It all comes down to a few points."
Williams committed 44 unforced errors, mostly on her backhand. She finished with a 56-5 record, won French, Wimbledon and U.S. Open titles and ended the year as the world's top-ranked player.
"Kim played really well. She earned the win," Williams said. "I like that I didn't win because I'm so motivated to win the Australian Open and all the tournaments after that."
Clijsters didn't drop a set in four matches, tied the record for fewest games lost (14) en route to the title and earned $765,000 from the $3 million purse.
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"She's always had a lot of talent," Williams said. "She has a very good future. We'll see what next year will bring."
After a tired Williams barely got a forehand back, Clijsters rushed the net and put away a forehand winner on match point. She dropped her racket and buried her face in her hands in disbelief. Clijsters then fired a ball into the crowd and gave a thumbs-up sign.
There were seven service breaks in the first set, when Williams led 5-3 before losing the final four games.
In the second, Clijsters served at 2-2. At deuce, she daringly tried a drop shot that landed on the line, then Williams returned Clijsters' serve long and Clijsters led 3-2. Williams dropped her serve at love to trail 4-2.
Clijsters survived a break point at 30-40 on her serve to force deuce. She hit a service winner, then Williams netted a backhand service return to trail 5-2. Williams held in the next game for 5-3 before Clijsters served out the match.
Clijsters joined Americans Chanda Rubin and Meghann Shaughnessy, Patty Schnyder of Switzerland and Belgian Justine Henin as the only players to beat Williams this year.