ROME -- A German tennis fan is being extradited from Italy to face charges of stalking American player Serena Williams.

Police said Albrecht Stromeyer, 33, was arrested on Saturday after being stopped by security guards near the entrance to the Italian Open tournament at Rome's Foro Italico.

Officials at the tournament had strengthened security after a man was stopped trying to enter a restricted area at last week's German Open, where Williams was playing.

Witnesses in Rome said four police cars drew up outside the Foro Italico and officers arrested a man who had been looking at a scoreboard beside a court where Williams was playing her semifinal against compatriot Jennifer Capriati.

Williams, who won the final of the Italian Open on Sunday, beating Belgian Justine Henin 7-6, 6-4, said she was happy with the security in Rome.

"I think the (women's) Tour has done a great job in letting me know what I needed to know to be safe," she said. "I feel safe and hopefully I'll continue to feel safe."

Security has long been an issue on the women's tennis tour. In 1993, Monica Seles, who was then the world number one, was stabbed in the back on court by a deranged fan of her rival Steffi Graf in Hamburg.

Last year, Australian Dubravko Rajcevic was jailed for two years for stalking former world No. 1 Martina Hingis of Switzerland.