Jana Novotna, probably the most talented player never to have won a Grand Slam tennis title, kept her notoriously fragile nerve and swept to a 7-6 (7/4), 6-2, 6-3 victory over French opponent Mary Pierce in the WTA Championship final in New York yesterday.

The 29-year-old Czech, still best remembered for her tears when she threw away a third set lead to go down to defeat against Steffi Graf in the 1993 Wimbledon final, admitted after her victory: "Alas this isn't a Grand Slam victory. But it's the next best thing."