Serena Williams tops Azarenka in Brisbane final

BRISBANE, Australia, Jan. 4 (UPI) -- World No. 1 Serena Williams defended her Brisbane International championship with a 6-4, 7-5 win Saturday over second-ranked Victoria Azarenka.

Williams fired off 10 aces and didn't commit a double fault in improving to 14-3 all-time versus Azarenka. It was the fifth consecutive meeting between the two that decided a tournament title. Williams is 3-2 in those match-ups.

Williams dropped only five points on serve and took the only break point opportunity for either player in the first set. Azarenka solved Williams' serve twice in the second set but Williams had three breaks in the set for the win.

It was the 58th WTA title for Williams, which is fourth-most in WTA history. It was also her 12th championship since she won at Brisbane to start the 2013 season. She is 58-17 in tournament finals.

Azarenka falls to 17-15 in title matches. Since the 2013 Australian Open, which she won, Azarenka is 3-4 in finals, with three losses coming at the hands of Williams.

Williams takes home $196,670 along with the Brisbane International title, pushing her record total for career winnings to more than $54.3 million. Azarenka's second-place check for $104,890 gives her about $25.5 million in her career.