Dubai, UAE  - Venus Williams put this week's controversy to the side as she lifted the 40th title of her career, claiming the Barclays Championships title 6-4, 6-2 over Virginie Razzano on Saturday.

Williams, seeded sixth, will move back into the WTA Top 5 for the first time since 2003 after her success at an event thrown into chaos by the visa exclusion of Israeli Shahar Peer.

Williams took the opportunity to praise Peer during post-match ceremonies following the win in just over 90 minutes over 58th-ranked Frenchwomen Razzano.

The American said that she was likely to return for a title defence, with Dubai fined 300,000 dollars by the WTA over the Peer affair and after the admittance by the UAE government of Israeli Andy Ram into the men's tournament starting Monday.

"I feel good about coming back. I'm confident now that all players will have the chance to play. If that's somehow not the case, then we'll have to evaluate.

"A wrong decision might have been made but we hope that it was made for the right reasons," Williams said of the visa ban from a country that has no diplomatic relations with Israel with a population outraged over January's bombing of Gaza which resulted in 1,300 reported deaths.

Williams will return to the elite for the first time since the week of August 25, 2003 after half a decade in the wilderness.

She has won won seven of her last eight finals with her last defeat in a title match coming at 2007 Tokyo against Razzano.

"She had a game plan to attack, but I know how to play defence," said the winner. "I'm used to people playing well against me.

"I certainly enjoyed this final against her more than the last one. I've struggled here but I'm on the victory stand."

Razzano, who prepared after her own semi-final win with a spa treatment and a beer with dinner, was stretched out on court with a back problem after the seventh game of the opening set, trailing 3-4 on serve.

Williams ended the set with a break and found herself bogged down in a lengthy opening game to start the second.

After breaking free for 5-0, the American hit trouble as Razzano saved two match points in a fighting sixth game then broke Williams for 2-5 as the American served for it.

Razzano continued her own heroics, saving another match point before finally going down with a low return into the net.

"I just didn't do it right, " she said of her first effort to close things out. "But I got it right before it was too late."

Five-time Wimbledon winner Williams said there is no reason why she cannot go forward toward the number 1 ranking she once held. "My goal is to keep winning and stay healthy. And hopefully Serena and I will keeping going onto glory." (dpa)