Tennis

Unstoppable Serena shatters Sharapova

(Reuters)
Updated: 2007-01-27 16:09

Never one to do things by the book, Serena Williams dramatically tore up the script on Saturday to bring top seed Maria Sharapova to her knees and capture a third Australian Open crown.

Serena Williams of the U.S. poses with the women's singles winner's trophy after she beat Russia's Maria Sharapova at the Australian Open tennis tournament in Melbourne January 27, 2007. [Reuters]

Comeback queen Williams demonstrated that she still belonged among the elite as she annihilated Sharapova 6-1 6-2 to win her eighth grand slam trophy.

The American had entered the tournament ranked 81st in the world, but made it look like a mathematical error with her brutal 63-minute destruction of a shell-shocked Sharapova.

Down on bended knee, Williams fired a crunching backhand angled winner to seal the match and immediately sent her racket flying out of her hand as she fell flat on her back in her moment of triumph.

Holding her head in her hands in disbelief, she got back on her feet and began leaping around the court. In fact she could barely stand still as she performed an impromptu jig before mouthing the words "Hey dad, thanks for the advice".

But once she hugged the trophy the tears started rolling down her cheeks as she dedicated the win to her sister who was shot dead in Los Angeles in 2003.

SISTER DEDICATION

"I would like to dedicate this win to my sister, who is not here, her name is Yetunde," Williams said her voice cracking with emotion.

"I just love her so much. A couple of days ago I said if I win this it will be for her so thanks Yetunde," added Williams, who will climb to 14th in the world on Monday.

Williams had proved she still possessed an appetite for winning big titles by trampling over five seeds in the run up to the final. On Saturday she claimed the biggest one of them all.

She become the third lowest ranked woman to win a major since the inception of rankings and only the second unseeded woman to win the Australian crown in the professional era after Chris O'Neil achieved the feat in 1978.