DOUG PINKERTON Serena Williams celebrates her first Family Circle Cup title moments after defeating Vera Zvonareva Sunday afternoon , 6-4, 3-6, 6-3. For additional photos, see page 32.

The next time you hear people grouse about overpaid professional athletes, spare a thought for Serena Williams and Maria Sharapova.

The presence of these two superstars paid dividends for organizers of the 35^th Annual Family Circle Cup that concluded Sunday with Williams’ three-set victory over surprise finalist Vera Zvonereva.

Stadium seats were virtually filled every time Williams and Sharapova stepped on court. And the presence of past tennis royalty such as Martina Navratilova, Chris Evert and other champions for Saturday’s anniversary commemoration added even more luster and crowd appeal.

Another plus was the presence of legendary tennis journalist Bud Collins. The longtime Boston columnist introduced thousands of baby-boomers to the game back in the early 1970s. He chronicled the rise of Bjorn Borg and Jimmy Connors on public TV tennis broadcasts and later became a Grand Slam broadcast fixture on NBC TV.

He also taught fans how to have fun and loosen up with wacky Collinsesque characters such as the Fortesque family, which supposedly produced a long line of net judges. The patriarch was none other than "Fingers" Fortesque. Alas, net judges and their single digits are no longer are part of the game but, thankfully, Collins is, and his on-court post-match interviews were splendid. It would be marvelous if he would return next year.

With weather that was largely pleasant, the week-long tournament became a celebration of Charleston and Daniel Island. Fans from Kansas who watched ESPN broadcasts probably still have a certain motto caroming in their heads: Daniel Island, a town, an island, a way of life.

As a Charlestonian (OK, Mt. Pleasant), my buttons were busting with pride as I listened to Mayor Joe Riley wax eloquent about his beloved city during the trophy presentations after the Williams-Zvonereva match. And it was wonderful to behold Serena’s genuine appreciation for local fans.

"I don’t always get this kind of fan support when I travel around the world," she said, noting that she’d like to pack everyone up with her and take them to Europe for the red-clay and grass-court seasons.

The competitiveness of the women’s singles final and the first two sets of Williams-Sharapova match helped, too. To her credit, Vera Z. went toe-to-toe with Serena throughout their three-set match, only to be let down by a shaky serve. Sharapova’s service game also wilted in the final set of their Friday quarterfinal match. That happens when players face Serena’s strength, intensity and surprisingly quick court coverage.

Finally, kudos again to tournament director Robin Reynolds and her army of employees and tournament volunteers. Daniel Islanders have long known how capable the Family Circle Cup folks are at running smooth, enjoyable events. But they topped themselves with their 35^th bash and now deserve a quick respite before commencing plans for Family Circle Cup No. 36.