New Zealand start their 288-run chase on a cautious note in the first ODI at Abu Dhabi against Pakistan.
Shane Bond accounted for Salman Butt in the first over itself, with Brendon McCullum takking an easy catch.
All the action as it unfolds
The Kiwi pair then sent back Younis Khan in almost similar fashion.
Mohammad Yousuf, who was looking set to register a big score, lost his wicket to a run-out.
Umar Akmal was the next one to depart. Kiwi skipper Daniel Vettori bowled a quicker one to knock off his off-stump.
Jacob Oram then accounted for Shahid Afridi as Ian Butler made no mistake with the catch.
Vettori struck again to dismiss Khalid Latif.
Abdul Razzaq followed, with Scott Styris catching him off Butler. Just two deliveries later, Umar Gul lost his wicket to a run-out.
Mohammed Aamer then edged a Tim Southee delivery to McCullum.
The teams:
New Zealand: AJ Redmond, BB McCullum†, MJ Guptill, LRPL Taylor, SB Styris, JDP Oram, DL Vettori*, NL McCullum, TG Southee, IG Butler, SE Bond
Pakistan: S Butt, K Latif, Y Khan, M Yousuf, Umar Akmal, Shahid Afridi, Kamran Akmal†, Abdul Razzaq, Mohammad Aamer, Umar Gul, Saeed Ajmal
Player Ratings: India vs Australia
The players' performances in the fourth one-dayer between India and Australia in Mohali.
AUSTRALIA:
Shane Watson - 9
A fine all-round performance by Shane Watson! Watson, who survived a confident shout for lbw off the first ball of the innings, looked scrappy initially, but also grew in confidence and opened up, picking boundaries off Praveen Kumar and Ishant Sharma. He matched his captain Ricky Ponting, to hit a valuable 52-ball 49. Later, he also chipped in with three wickets for 29 runs in 7.4 overs.
Ricky Ponting - 8
Shaun Marsh's dismissal brought Ricky Ponting to the crease early, and the Australia captain was immediately on the front foot, pulling Ashish Nehra for a boundary off the first ball he faced.
Ponting, who smashed Ishant Sharma for a six and a four off the bowler's first over, raised his 73rd half-century with a boundary off Harbhajan Singh but his fabulous innings came to an abrupt end when he was run out.
Doug Bollinger - 8
Doug Bollinger claimed three top-order wickets to help Australia beat India by 24 runs. Bollinger gave Aussies big relief by sending back Virender Sehwag, who looked unstoppable at one stage. He then also got Virat Kohli in his first spell, before returning to see off India captain MS Dhoni.
Cameron White - 6
Australia were 123 for three at one stage when Cameron White and Michael Hussey rebuilt the innings with a 73-run stand for the fourth wicket. White mixed caution with aggression as he played a superb knock of 62 off 71 balls. White, who reached his fourth ODI half-century with a single off Harbhajan Singh, got run out and Australia thereafter lost their way.
Michael Hussey - 7
Australia were reduced to 123 for three as Ricky Ponting got run out and it was essential to consolidate the innings. And Michael Hussey did just that in the company of Cameron White.
In-form Hussey, negotiated the spinners with aplomb and once stepped out to hit Yuvraj over the ropes. Hussey was looking good for his fifty when he holed out to Ishant, trying to hit Yuvraj out of the ground.
Nathan Hauritz - 6
Nathan Hauritz came up with an impressive performance, giving away 31 runs in nine overs, claiming two wickets, which included Sachin Tendulkar's wicket. And later he also saw off Suresh Raina.
Peter Siddle - 5
Peter Siddle, who bowled for just five overs, gave away only 15 runs.
Graham Manou - 3
Graham Manou though scored run a ball (6 off 7 balls) but he did a better job standing behind the wicket.
Moises Henriques - 2
Moises Henriques had a poor game. Period.
Shaun Marsh - 2
Shaun Marsh, who was dropped for the previous game in Delhi, returned to open the innings along with Shane Watson, but he simply failed to impress as he got trapped right in front by Ashish Nehra in the eighth over scoring just five runs off 23 balls.
Mitchell Johnson - 2
Mitchell Johnson proved to be the costliest Aussie bowler in the match. He conceded 74 runs in nine over without any success.
INDIA:
Harbhajan Singh - 8
A great all-round display from Harbhajan Singh! He sizzled not only with a couple of wickets but also hit a quickfire 31 off 25 balls to give India some hope of victory.
Earlier, when Ricky Ponting and Shane Watson had added 64 runs to lend stability to Australia, MS Dhoni pressed Harbhajan Singh into service. Bhajji struck immediately with the wicket of Shane Watson in his first delivery.
Ashish Nehra - 7
Ashish Nehra (3/37) was the pick of the Indian bowlers. India's new-ball bowlers, Nehra and Praveen Kumar, kept Australia's openers on a tight leash with a good line and length. Aussie batsmen looked extremely uncomfortable throughout facing Nehra's angles.
Praveen Kumar - 7
Praveen Kumar along with Ashish Nehra kept Australia's openers on a tight leash in the initial overs. Aussie batsmen failed to get their act together against generous swing that Praveen was generating.
Praveen Kumar also hit a fine 16 off 19 balls and in the able company of Harbhajan Singh threatened to run away with the match.
Ravindra Jadeja - 5
Like most of the Indian bowlers, Ravindra Jadeja also had a good outing. And even though he could not take any wicket but he impressed with his bowling figures of 7-0-27-0, besides knocking off the stumps with a direct throw to run out Ricky Ponting.
Virender Sehwag - 6
India's chase got off to a blazing start with Virender Sehwag displaying the kind of power-hitting on which he has built his career around. The first ball raced to the fence off his blade faster than it had arrived.
The birthday boy copped three boundaries in his next over and before he got out he raced to 30 off 19 balls.
Sachin Tendulkar - 5
Sachin Tendulkar, who needed 47 runs at the start of this match to reach 17,000 in ODIs, went out leg before to off-spinner Nathan Hauritz after hitting 40 runs, as India slipped to 94 for three.
MS Dhoni - 3
At 94 for three, captain Mahendra Singh Dhoni (26) and Yuvraj Singh had a task uncannily similar to the one they had accomplished in the previous match in Delhi but they both failed.
Yuvraj Singh - 2
Yuvraj Singh could not capitilise on a good start as his innings folded up at 21.
Suresh Raina - 2
Suresh Raina failed to make any mark in this match, scoring a dismal 17 off 30 balls.
Virat Kohli - 2
Virat Kohli had a low key game. Virat, who replaced injured Gautam Gambhir in this match, could only manage to score 10 runs.
Ishant Sharma - 2
Ishant Sharma proved to be the costliest Indian bowler. When India captain MS Dhoni brought in Ishant to bowl, he hoped the beanpole pacer would once again torment the Australian captain like he had done in the past but Ponting was in no mood to oblige. And Ishant failed to make any mark in this match at all.
Dhoni: Batsmen let us down
M S Dhoni blamed his batsmen for the defeat against Australia, saying they failed to complement the effort of the bowlers.
Dhoni said restricting Australia to a 250-run on a wicket that promised a run-feast was no mean achievement but lack of partnerships in the Indian batting line-up allowed Australia to level the series 2-2.
"I think it was a good effort by the bowlers to stop them to a total like 250. We got a decent start to our chase also but subsequently, we failed as a batting unit," Dhoni told after the match.
"We should have batted full 50 overs but that was not possible because we kept losing wickets at regular intervals," he rued.
Dhoni defended his decision to field, saying dew otherwise would have made things difficult for the bowlers.
"Dew is a big factor that always plays on your mind. From 15-40th overs, generally the spinners do the job for us. That would have been taking a risk. Of course it can backfire also, so it's difficult to choose.
"But we knew in Mohali, the wicket would not break much and ball would come nicely onto the bat with a bit of dew. I think our bowlers did a great job and 251 is something we should have scored," he said.
Dhoni conceded youngsters like Suresh Raina, Ravindra Jadeja and Virat Kohli are yet to learn how to accomplish difficult chase but he did not blame them for that.
"I think Raina today got out to a beautiful delivery, while Jadeja was run out after a mix-up. The thing is batting at number 6-7 is not easy since you don't get much opportunity to bat. You cannot pace your innings either, for you have to play according to the platform given to you. Sometimes, you have to accelerate or keep a partnership going.
"They are still inexperienced and I hope they learn from their mistakes," he said.
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On the decision to send Kohli at number three, Dhoni said," To best way to give someone opportunity is to let him bat higher. At number 6-7, you score 20-30 in quick time or can get our for 10-12 also. I think it's important to give them chance.
"Virat is a talented batsman, good on the field and brings in lot of energies," Dhoni said.
He also threw his weight behind Ishant Sharma even though he admitted the pacer was not at his best.
"Look, it was a good, nice wicket to bat on. They got a good start, targetted him and succeeded. If batsman goes after a bowler, it gives you more chance to pick up a wicket.
"He is currently not at his best but I hope he would bounce back soon," Dhoni said.
The Indian captain said Gautam Gambhir, who skipped today's match after being hit on the neck in the last game, is likely to play the next game of the series.
"He's most likely to be fit for the next game," Dhoni said.
Atletico Madrid vs Chelsea Preview
Struggling Atletico Madrid face two of Europe's biggest clubs in the space of five days this week.
But they are far from running scared as new coach Quique Sanchez Flores has welcomed the prospect.
Atletico play host to Premier League leaders Chelsea knowing that anything other than a victory could end their hopes of reaching the knockout stages of the UEFA Champions League, while this weekend they host bitter rivals Real Madrid in the Primera Division.
For a team that finds itself in the relegation zone of La Liga after nine matches and bottom of Group D in Europe with only one point, Atletico could be forgiven for fearing the worst ahead of those two fixtures, but Sanchez Flores is thinking just the opposite.
"It's a good thing to have to play these two matches because the fans will have to come to the stadium and be very positive," said Sanchez Flores, who only took charge of the Rojiblancos last week following the dismissal of Abel Resino.
"Tomorrow, for instance, the fans will really have to be behind us to make it possible for us to win and that will be positive for the players and their mindset.
"From a psychological point of view it would be very important to win these next two games.
"First of all because it would give the team a lifeline in both competitions, but also because it would be good for the players.
"Chelsea is a match that we could win. We really have to think we can win it, because we have to be positive and we have to feel we can win it."
Positive thinking is something that may not come easily to Atletico following a dismal start to the season both domestically and in Europe.
In La Liga they have recorded one win and fell into the bottom three of the standings following Saturday's 1-0 defeat at Athletic Bilbao, while in the Champions League they have lost away to Chelsea (4-0) and Porto (2-0) and were held to a goalless draw at home by group minnows Apoel Nicosia of Cyprus.
With the prospect of making it through to the last 16 looking increasingly unlikely, Sanchez Flores was asked whether he might omit some of his key players tomorrow ahead of the league showdown with Real.
But while he admitted he may make some changes for the visit of Chelsea, he insisted it would not be because he wanted to give his players a rest.
"We are enthusiastic about every single match we play and if we do make any changes it isn't because they are being rested for Saturday's match but because we have more than 11 players who can play," he said.
"Atletico Madrid needs to have more than 11 players who are able to win a match. You cannot just leave everything in the hands of 11 players because that would be bad from a physical point of view.
"Maybe there will be some new faces tomorrow, but if there are any changes it will be to win the match and not for resting.
"I don't believe in the rotation of players just to rest them."
In contrast to the Spanish outfit, Chelsea go into the match at the Vicente Calderon in fine form, and in their last four games Carlo Ancelotti's side boast a 100% record with 17 goals scored and none conceded.
When asked how difficult it would be for Atletico - who have the worst defensive record in La Liga - to keep a clean sheet tomorrow, Sanchez Flores said: "Chelsea have many virtues, but we have also solved some of our problems and we have been quite calm in the last match and a half.
"Chelsea are very strong and we have to be at 100% tomorrow if we want to win. But I think thanks to our fans we may be able to win."
AC Milan vs Real Madrid Preview
Clarence Seedorf believes AC Milan are finally beginning to find their rhythm as they prepare to face Real Madrid.
The Rossoneri had won just one of five games before facing Madrid last month, when they came from a goal down to claim victory at the Bernabeu, but Leonardo's men have found some form ever since.
They have taken seven points from a possible nine in Serie A, including Saturday's 2-0 triumph over Parma which lifted them to fourth in the standings.
"Little by little, the team is showing its true colours," said Seedorf.
"We are happy, although we know the road is long.
"But the positive thing is that I see the team is starting to have confidence in its own ability and that is something which satisfies me."
The Rossoneri know Madrid will be eager to avenge last month's 3-2 defeat.
The result left the teams level on six points at the top of Group C after three games.
"I don't need to prepare my players for these type of games," Leonardo said.
"What we hope is to maintain the same high level as we have displayed in recent matches."
History suggests the Italian giants have reason to be optimistic as they have won all five games against Madrid at the San Siro and conceded just one goal.
The good news for the hosts is that Alessandro Nesta has recovered from a muscle injury that kept him out of Saturday's game against Parma and will be available to face the Spaniards.
Alexandre Pato, who scored twice in the first meeting between the two, is set to lead Milan's attack alongside Filippo Inzaghi and Ronaldinho.
Madrid also head into the match with renewed confidence after going some way towards redeeming themselves for last week's humiliating Copa del Rey defeat to lowly Alcorcon.
They enjoyed a stirring derby victory over Getafe on Saturday, where they recovered from the early dismissal of defender Raul Albiol to claim a 2-0 win.
Madrid had plenty of heroes in that match but it was striker Gonzalo Higuain who stood out, netting both his side's goals and only narrowly missing out on a sensational 12-minute hat-trick after seeing another shot strike the post.
The Argentinian could hardly have picked a better time to produce such a performance, with both Madrid and coach Manuel Pellegrini under intense pressure following three defeats in five games.
But the 21-year-old dismissed any suggestion he is the team's "saviour".
"I had the fortune to score two goals, but the team played a great match and we won thanks to the effort of everyone," he said in Marca.
"I'm not the saviour. I don't like that. I'm very happy because you don't score two goals every day, but I'm not the saviour at all. The merit goes to the team."
Saturday's match was only Higuain's fourth start of the season in all competitions, partly due to injury, but Madrid fans are eager to see the former River Plate hitman keep his place in the side for tomorrow's game with Milan.
When asked if he would be disappointed to be back on the bench at the San Siro, Higuain said: "I'm calm, it's not something I'm obsessing about. Obviously I want to play, because it's a special game, but the coach is the one who makes the decisions.
"I always want to play, but at Madrid there are many players and we are all ready to play."
Coach Pellegrini, who received a vote of confidence from club president Florentino Perez yesterday, named a 20-man squad for the trip to Italy with Cristiano Ronaldo and Ezequiel Garay injured, and Guti and Christoph Metzelder omitted.
Manchester United vs CSKA Moscow Prevew
Wayne Rooney's participation in Manchester United's Champions League clash with CSKA Moscow tomorrow night is in doubt after the birth of his first child.
The 24-year-old forward missed training this morning in order to be with his wife, Coleen, who gave birth to Kai Wayne Rooney this afternoon.
United manager Sir Alex Ferguson is already without central defenders Nemanja Vidic and Rio Ferdinand (both knee), while Ryan Giggs (hip) has also already been ruled out.
Rooney's strike partner Dimitar Berbatov is also doubtful after taking a blow on the kneecap against Blackburn on Saturday so Ferguson could be partnering Michael Owen with Federico Macheda in attack as United look for the win required to send them into the knockout phase with two games to spare.
Park Ji-sung will not be considered either, with Ferguson confirming the South Korean has been put on a two-week fitness programme after suffering a series of minor ailments.
The good news for Ferguson is that captain Gary Neville is back from suspension and Scotland star Darren Fletcher will start after a month out with an ankle injury.
Tomorrow, Northern Ireland international Jonny Evans will play in central defence with Wes Brown, who has been blighted by injury since the 2008 Champions League triumph in Moscow, when he occupied the right-back berth.
"The great thing for Wes Brown is that he has remained fit this year," said Ferguson.
"Last season, he had a terrible run of injuries. But the previous year, he made the most appearances and played in the final in Moscow.
"When he is fit and we bring him in there is no better defender in the country. He is a real true defender."
Leonid Slutski faces United in his first European outing as CSKA Moscow coach following his appointment on a three-year contract last week.
Slutski arrives as Juande Ramos' successor with a growing reputation, having built on his work at FC Moscow by guiding FC Krylya to sixth spot and a European spot for the first time in their history last season.
Beaten at the Luzhniki Stadium a fortnight ago, CSKA are unlikely to prevent United sealing their place in the knock-out phase with two matches to spare.
However, Igor Akinfeev has plenty of reasons to impress having been linked with a move to United during the January transfer window.
"I have heard the speculation but it is just talk, nothing else," he said.
"I cannot look at this match from a personal perspective. The career of every footballer grows from such games.
"We are playing a legendary team in a legendary stadium. It will be an inspirational game, the most important in our careers."
Bayern Munich vs Bordeaux Preview
Bordeaux will travel to Bayern Munich in confident mood, knowing a win will see them reach the knockout stage of the Champions League.
A 2-1 victory at the Stade Chaban-Delmas a fortnight ago took Laurent Blanc's side to the top of Group A, three points clear of Bayern and two ahead of Juventus.
Another win at the Allianz Arena tomorrow night would ensure Bordeaux secure at least one of the top two positions in the group and leave Bayern to battle it out with Juve for the other.
And that is the French side's aim, according to defender Mathieu Chalme,
"We are going there looking for a win, but a draw could also be a good result," he said.
"If we have the chance to win the game, then we will do so."
Nevertheless, the Bordeaux right-back does not think the game will be as one-sided as it was in France a fortnight ago, when Bayern were fortunate to lose by only one goal with their goalkeeper Hans-Jorg Butt saving two penalties.
If there is going to be one-way traffic in Munich, Chalme expects it to come in the opposite direction.
"We know that a big club in Europe like Bayern can stick three past us and beat us," he said.
"They are going to be at home and they will be motivated to do well after their defeat at our place."
A 1-0 win over Monaco on Saturday, a result which kept Bordeaux at the top of Ligue 1, will have given Les Girondins enough confidence to face Bayern without any fear, even in their own back yard.
"We were desperate to beat Monaco because we had lost our last two games away," Chalme said.
"That has done us good and now we go to Munich in a relaxed mood. It's always better to prepare for Champions League games after victories than after defeats."
Tomorrow's match is a pivotal one in Bayern's season.
Having drawn 0-0 at Stuttgart on Saturday, the Bavarians have slipped to sixth in the Bundesliga, five points adrift of league leaders Bayer Leverkusen.
Coach Louis van Gaal knows his side cannot afford any more slip-ups.
"We want to go through so we have got to win," he said.
The Dutchman will be without the suspended Daniel Van Buyten and Thomas Muller, who both picked up red cards in France.
Martin Demichelis should replace the former, but Arjen Robben is not quite fit enough to start in place of Muller, although Van Gaal says he could still play a decisive role.
"He will certainly not start, but he has always scored goals as a super-sub and that is also important," he said.
Luca Toni should return to the starting XI after being left out in Stuttgart on Saturday.
"I chose Mario (Gomez) against Stuttgart because it was his former club and sometimes you can use things like that to make the difference," explained Van Gaal.
"Furthermore, I wanted to rest Luca, who has played four games in a row, in view of the match against Bordeaux."
Muniyappa in Tiger showdown
India's C. Muniyappa is pinching himself these days to see if he is caught up in a wild dream.
A month ago, the 32-year-old was merely one of the boys in his rookie season on the Asian Tour but this week, he will stand shoulder-and-shoulder with golf greats including Tiger Woods and Phil Mickelson in the WGC-HSBC Champions.
"My dream has always been to play with Tiger," said Muniyappa today. "I can't imagine that I'm going to be in the same event with him.
"Last year, I was watching the big events on TV and I saw Jeev (Singh) winning in Singapore. I asked myself when will I have the chance to play in such big events and I worked really hard. Now, I'm here."
He is amongst 11 Asian Tour members, who include three other Indians, at the Sheshan International Golf Club for the historic first staging of a World Golf Championship event in Asia.
Muniyappa earned his spot in the US$7 million showpiece through his sixth place position on the Order of Merit at the cut-off point for qualifying, thanks to a career breakthrough victory in the Hero Honda Indian Open last month.
For a man who caddied for one rupee (2 cents) during his childhood, he has had the opportunity to shoot for a staggering US$13 million over the past three weeks on Tour.
"I'm going to try to play my best golf here. In Singapore last week, I didn't play well as I didn't have a visa ready for China and I was worried about that. But it was a good experience competing on a tough course. I feel lucky to be here," said the man from Bangalore.
It has been hard work rather than sheer luck which has brought Muniyappa to golf's biggest stage. He entered his first Asian Tour Qualifying School this year after mustering enough confidence to do so following a first domestic victory last year following more than 10 years in the play-for-pay ranks.
During the final round of Q-school, Muniyappa fell outside the top-40 with four holes remaining after a bizarre incident where he lost his ball despite hitting a perfect drive down the 15th fairway.
"I declared a lost ball but when we walked up to my second ball, I found the first ball lying on the fairway! I was so angry and made double bogey," he said.
"At that point, it was the most pressure that I've ever felt in my life, even more than what I experienced in the Indian Open play-off. If I didn't make the top-40, I would not be able to play on the Asian Tour for a year. I knew I had to birdie a few holes coming in, and I managed to do so on 16 and 18."
Muniyappa's emergence certainly mirrors the wonderful rise of Indian talents coming through on the Asian Tour.
This week would mark the first time that four Indians, the others being Jeev Milkha Singh, Jyoti Randhawa and Gaganjeet Bhullar, are featuring in a WGC event.
Bhullar, a talented 21-year-old who won the Indonesia President Invitational in July, said: "Four Indians in a WGC event, it's the first time in our history. We are producing so many international players and it's a great sign for Indian golf.
"It's all thanks to Jeev, Jyoti and Arjun (Atwal) who have played well over the years and given the rest of us the inspiration to emulate them," said Bhullar.
After earning his Major stripes when he qualified for the British Open this year, Bhullar will also be Tiger-hunting in Shanghai. "I'm so excited. I saw Tiger at the British Open and it was so inspiring for me. I'm looking for a great week.
"It feels good to be in a WGC event. The last two years, I've worked really hard and I want to work harder to get into contention at the big events."
The other Asian Tour stars in the field include Thailand's Thongchai Jaidee, Chapchai Nirat and Prayad Marksaeng, Anthony Kang of the United States, Japan's Daisuke Maruyama, Singapore Lam Chih Bing and Chinese Taipei's Lin Wen-tang.
Korea's Yang Yong-eun, Asia's first Major champion, will also challenge for the HSBC Champions title which he won in 2006.
Murray to play in Valencia
Andy Murray will play his first match since September 20 in the Valencia Open on Tuesday.
Murray, the top seed, will take on Spanish wild card Daniel Gimeno-Traver in the first round.
The world number four has not played since winning both his singles matches in Great Britain's Davis Cup defeat to Poland in Liverpool.
The 22-year-old has been suffering with a wrist injury but told his personal website: "The wrist is fine.
"I'm still icing it and exercising it but it's tough to do too much about it specifically.
"I've played two matches in nine weeks, so I wouldn't be surprised if I play poorly at first, but I will try my best."
Easy win for Davydenko
Nikolay Davydenko cruised through to the second round of the Valencia Open with a straight-sets victory.
Davydenko, the second seed behind Britain's Andy Murray, defeated qualifier Alejandro Falla of Colombia 6-2 6-1 in his first-round clash.
Czech Republic's Tomas Berdych was a 6-3 6-4 victor over Paul-Henri Mathieu of France, while Spain's Guillermo Garcia-Lopez also won in straight sets, defeating Germany's Simon Greul 7-5 6-2.
Albert Montanes beat qualifier Roberto Bautista-Agut in an all-Spanish clash 6-1 3-6 6-4.
Serena wins battle of sisters
Serena Williams claimed a fourth successive win over sister Venus to triumph at the Sony Ericsson Championships in Doha.
Serena, who was guaranteed to end the season as world number one, completed her fifth straight win of the prestigious end-of-season tournament, easing to a 6-2 7-5 (7/4) victory.
She wasted little time taking the first set but had to dig deeper in the second before winning the tie-break to go 13-10 up on defending champion Venus in professional meetings between the world-beating American siblings.
Venus had a battle on her hands to make the final, coming from a set down to sneak past Jelena Jankovic yesterday - when Serena had a much easier time, thanks to Caroline Wozniacki's mid-match retirement because of a leg injury.
Today, Serena pasted a succession of service returns and rarely needed to get out of a canter - with long rallies a rare occurrence - as she closed out the first set with ease.
She had an early break and comfortably built on that advantage thanks to some typically crunching serves when she needed them - despite appearing in pain with a troublesome injury that required significant strapping on her left leg.
Venus, by contrast, rarely appeared capable of testing her sister and lost the final game of the first set to love - on Serena's serve.
Although Venus held serve throughout the second set, it was not until 40-0 down in the sixth game that she won her first point against serve since midway through the first.
And Serena continued to hold her serve with ease.
Yet Venus' persistence meant the break proved elusive until the balance of power was accurately reflected in a tie-break that saw Serena end the match with a rasping cross-court winner.
Serena insisted afterwards her near faultless campaign had far exceeded her expectations as she collected a second Tour Championships title.
"I didn't expect to come here and win," she told British Eurosport.
"My practice was not going very well at home - but I kept fighting.
"Playing Venus in the final was really tough. Even though she was not feeling all that great, she was getting every ball back - and it was really frustrating."
Williams confirm Barrichello signing
Williams have confirmed Rubens Barrichello and Nico Hulkenberg will be their driver line-up for the 2010 Formula One season.
The news has been widely anticipated for several weeks, with the duo replacing Nico Rosberg - set to take up Barrichello's seat at Brawn GP - and Kazuki Nakajima.
Barrichello is the most experienced driver in Formula One history, having made 284 starts, while Hulkenberg is a rising star, who this year won the GP2 Series championship.
Team principal Frank Williams said: "Rubens needs no introduction.
"He is not only the most experienced driver in Formula One but a passionate and talented driver who fought hard for the championship this year.
"Nico won the GP2 championship this season as a rookie and has previously won the F3 Euroseries, Formula Master, A1 GP and Formula BMW Germany."
Williams added: "Nico Rosberg and Kazuki remain our drivers until the end of 2009 and I would like to take this opportunity to thank them for their contribution to the team.
"Nico and Kazuki have represented Williams and our partners with dedication, discipline and skill and we wish them every success with their future endeavours."
In extending a career that began in 1993 with Jordan, 37-year-old Barrichello is now poised to compete in more than 300 grands prix.
The Brazilian, who has 11 wins to his name, has since raced for Stewart, Ferrari, Honda and Brawn - finishing third in this year's drivers' championship behind Jenson Button and Sebastian Vettel.
Barrichello insisted on Thursday Williams are a team "anyone would look at", because they are "one of the best teams out there, and are on their way up."
Williams, though, could only finish seventh in the constructors' championship this year - Nakajima ending the season with the unenviable record of failing to score a point from the 17 races.
The team have not won a race since the 2004 Brazilian Grand Prix, yet Barrichello claimed his motivation for carrying on racing is that he wants to win.
"I have a lot of passion for speed, for overtaking, for the things that pump me up, the challenge of winning," said Barrichello.
"I want to go on and have a chance to keep on winning."
Hulkenberg, who has been the team's test and reserve driver this year, is deserving of his chance - given his fine pedigree in other series.
Button expects intense competition
Jenson Button is predicting a four-team scrap next season when he defends his Formula One world championship title.
The chequered flag may only have come down on this year's campaign on Sunday but already thoughts are turning towards 2010.
It promises to be a very different season for Button as he will go into it as the driver in the firing line.
As yet his future is uncertain, although he is expected to remain at Brawn GP, with manufacturing giants Mercedes-Benz set to take a 75% stake in the team.
If that happens, Button and Brawn will be no one-hit wonders and in a position to again fight it out with Red Bull, while a resurgence will be expected from McLaren and Ferrari.
Lewis Hamilton finished the year as the driver who scored the most points from the last eight races, with Kimi Raikkonen - who will be replaced by Fernando Alonso at Ferrari next season - close behind.
With the only major change for next season being a refuelling ban, Button said: "Ferrari and McLaren are going to be competitive.
"They have the resources, the expertise, competitive drivers, so for sure they are going to be quick.
"They've had a different approach over the last few races. If you look at Ferrari, they've said they've had no development.
"It is unusual to hear that as there's not much that changes for next season.
"But it seems McLaren have thrown everything at the car and have been very competitive over the last few races.
"So going into next year, they're going to be quicker compared to the start of this season.
"But I don't think they're suddenly going to be stronger than Red Bull and Brawn.
"I think there's going to be a big battle at the front, which is going to be a new thing for all of us.
"Having four teams, eight drivers fighting it out at the front for wins, that hasn't happened for a while. That's exciting."
Sebastian Vettel is confident his team have not expended too many resources and energy in fighting for this season's title, rather than focusing on next year's car.
That is what happened to McLaren and Ferrari a year ago, ensuring they were ill-prepared for the biggest rule changes in F1 for 20 years.
Vettel, winner of the season-ending Abu Dhabi Grand Prix ahead of Red Bull team-mate Mark Webber and Button, said: "We are a team and we are professional.
"You might read here and there that other teams stopped developing this year, looking ahead to next year.
"But the regulations aren't changing too much. The biggest change is no refuelling but other than that the cars will remain similar, similar shapes.
"The people know what they are doing back in Milton Keynes (at the Red Bull factory), so I'm very confident. I think we can only get stronger."
