Williams dominates Sharapova to take third Australian Open

Unseeded Serena Williams swatted aside top seed and world number one Maria Sharapova 6-1, 6-2 in the Australian Open final to win her eighth Grand Slam.

Sharapova had no answer to Williams' booming serve and blistering returns as the American completed a fairytale return from injury with a third Australian title to join her 2003 and 2005 trophies.

Coming into the final as the underdog, the 25-year-old made a mockery of her world ranking of 81 to humiliate Sharapova and become the first unseeded player since 1978 to claim the Australian title.

With the roof of the Rod Laver Arena closed because of drizzle, the early signs were good for Williams, as it was during her previous victories at the tournament.

Serving first, she signalled her intentions when she fired down an ace to take the opening game.

The American was a picture of steely intent, showing none of the lapses in concentration that forced her to fight back from a set down twice in the tournament.


She drew first blood with a break in the second game when the serving woes that have dogged Sharapova's campaign continued and she double faulted twice to put the American ahead.

Williams punished Sharapova's tentative serve with sizzling returns and she stunned the Russian with another break to go up 4-0 after just 14 minutes,

Sharapova desperately sought a way back into the game and dug deep to take Williams to break point in the fifth game, only for her opponent to ease back on the throttle and bamboozle her with a looping drop shot and take the game.

The shell-shocked Russian accidentally hit a ball directly at her opponent in the next, when she finally managed to defend her serve, but only managed to fire up Williams further.

Williams served out the set after 26 minutes and Sharapova's woes continued when she double faulted to open the second.

The American continued to dominate the world number one, breaking Sharapova in the first game then holding her own serve with an ace.

Any doubts about her fitness were quickly dispelled as she leapt around the court, changing directions to reach return and charging to the net.

It was 10 games and 43 minutes into the match before Sharapova served an ace and less than 50 percent of her first serves were successful.

She clung on to defend her serve twice in the second set but could do little against the Williams onslaught, muttering "too good" to herself after another rocket-powered return from her opponent.

Williams served out the match and dropped to the ground in relief then bowed to the cheering crowd after one of the most lopsided finals in recent memory.