Serena Williams of the US holds up her trophy after her victory over Maria Sharapova of Russia in the final of the WTA Championships in Istanbul on Sunday. The 31-year-old's victory came at the end of a spectacular year in which she also collected the Wimbledon, Olympic and US Open singles titles. "Now that I can be honest, I really wanted to win and win this title and put a little pressure on myself," said Williams, whose career head-to-head record over Sharapova now stands at 10-2. "I wanted it so bad, I didn't want to say it. I had such a good year, it really was important to me to win, and this title in particular." Associated Press