Wins title for first time in nine attempts

NEW YORK, NOV 24: The only choking Jana Novotna did last night was choking back tears of joy.The second-seeded Novotna rode a blazing serve...

NEW YORK, NOV 24: The only choking Jana Novotna did last night was choking back tears of joy.The second-seeded Novotna rode a blazing serve to victory at the season-ending Chase Championships, turning what could have been a very long day into a straight sets victory over seventh-seed Mary Pierce of France.Taking a page out of the Mark Philippoussis handbook, the 27-year-old Czech serve and volleyer belted 15 aces — several above 100 mph (161 kph) — to subdue Pierce 7-6, 6-2, 6-3 in an even two hours on the blue carpet at Madison Square Garden.

“When I needed it I was able to put some first serves in,” said Novotna, who never lost a service game, saving all five break points she faced.

“This is probably one of the greatest moments of my tennis career,” said Novotna, who won the prestigious title for the first time in her ninth year of qualifying for the elite 16-player event.“The whole tournament I played well, no question about it. I was really focused and wanted to win this title very much because I felt I was playing the best tennis of my life,” added Novotna, who will finish the year as the second-ranked player in the world.

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Both players had reached a Grand Slam final this year — Pierce at the Australian Open and Novotna at Wimbledon only to be thwarted by Swiss sensation Martina Hingis.

Changes in 1998 tourOutgoing WTA tour CEO Anne Person Worcester said the 1998 women’s tennis circuit will add six more tournaments, increase prize money and try to head off a players coup launched earlier this month aimed at improving the stature of rank-and-file players.

“I think there’s a feeling that maybe we, the tour, do too much for the top players ” Worcester said.For 1998, the women’s tour will have six new lower levels, tier III and tier IV events. These tournaments will take place in Bogota, Makarska, Croatia, Istanbul, Boston, Seoul and Bali Indonesia. The new Croatian tournament is a doubles event. Tour prize money will increase from slightly over $38 million this year to over $40 m. The four Grand Slams, the Chase Championships and tier I events in Moscow, Key Biscayne and Indian Wells will offer in excess of $1 million in prize money for the women.