Serena voted AP Female Athlete of Year for fifth time

Serena Williams, who has a residence in Silicon Valley, reached the singles final
 at Wimbledon and the U.S. Open after giving birth to her first child on Sept. 1,
2017, and undergoing life-threatening complications. Photo by Mal Taam

   She didn't win a tournament in 2018.
   Serena Williams was voted The Associated Press Female Athlete of the Year for the fifth time anyway, it was announced today.
   Only Babe Didrikson Zaharias has won the award more often. She was honored six times, one for track and field (1932) and five for golf (1945-47, 1950, 1954).
   Williams, a 37-year-old part-time resident of Silicon Valley, received 93 votes in balloting by U.S. editors and news directors. Gymnast Simone Biles was second with 68.
   Rounding out the top five were Notre Dame basketball player Arike Ogunbowale, Olympic snowboarder Chloe Kim and former Stanford swimmer Katie Ledecky.
   Biles and Ledecky won the award in 2016 and 2017, respectively.
   Williams reached the singles final at Wimbledon and the U.S. Open after giving birth to her first child on Sept. 1, 2017, subsequently developing blood clots and undergoing four operations.
   Williams can tie Margaret Court's record of 24 Grand Slam singles titles by winning next month's Australian Open for the eighth time.