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KEITH NIEBUHRWilliams needs just 50 minutes to win the Nasdaq-100 after an eight-month layoff.
KEY BISCAYNE - Some wondered about Serena Williams' health.
Others questioned her desire.
Williams worried about neither, but she admitted to having butterflies before her return to tennis after eighth months off because of knee surgery.
"Two weeks ago I was really nervous," she said.
She can relax.
The top-seeded Williams made short work of No. 5 Elena Dementieva 6-1, 6-1 in Saturday's Nasdaq-100 Open final, which at 50 minutes was the quickest final in the event's 20 years. She also won here in 2002 and '03.
"I think it says I'm back," Williams said.
The top five in the world rankings skipped the event, some because of injuries and some because they wanted to rest. But even if Justine Henin-Hardenne or Kim Clijster had been here, it might not have mattered. Williams, a six-time major champion, was as dominant as ever, losing one set in six matches.
"I'm real happy I was able to come back and take a title," Williams said. "I just came out and wanted to win every match or just win every point. I never looked to see who I played in the next round. I think each round I got a little better for sure."
Dementieva, a 22-year-old Russian, beat one Williams sister last week, topping second-seed Venus in the quarterfinals. But Dementieva looked lost for much of Saturday's match, as the athletically superior Serena won 11 straight games.
"She's a great player," Dementieva said. "It's just amazing how well she played after the break. It's unbelievable to me. She was very strong on the court, moving well. She came through very strong. She's a great player."
An erratic serve hurt Dementieva. She had three aces to 57 double faults in six matches, with no aces and nine double faults Saturday. Dementieva took one of 19 points on her second serve.
"I'm glad I lost so easy, because now I'm going to work on my serve and improve my game," Dementieva said. "I realize if I want to win a tournament, I have to be stronger."
Williams won their previous meeting, beating Dementieva 6-2, 6-2 at Wimbledon last summer. Williams won that event, but a lingering knee problem led to surgery Aug. 1. She missed two majors, the U.S. and Australian opens, and suffered a personal loss when half-sister Yetunde Price was murdered Sept. 14.
"It's been hard. I had several tough months," Williams said before the tournament.
Sarasota's Monica Seles was the last female player of note to win her first tournament after a layoff of at least six months. Seles' return from being stabbed by a fan was at Toronto in 1995.
Williams was thrilled with her accomplishment, to say the least, but confessed she has much room for improvement, by her lofty standards anyway.
"I think the rust has definitely worn off," Williams said. "Honestly, I didn't expect to win my first tournament back. Everything from my serve to my return to my ground strokes to my running (needs work)."