IT IS SERENA AGAIN
Williams Routs Safina to Win Fourth Australian Open (Update2)
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By Dan Baynes
Jan. 31 (Bloomberg) -- Serena Williams overpowered Dinara Safina to secure her fourth Australian Open tennis title and move to 10 career Grand Slams, ranking her seventh all-time.
No. 2 seed Williams routed the third-seeded Russian 6-0, 6- 3 in 59 minutes at Melbourne Park to extend her run of victories in odd years at the season-opening major that began in 2003.
Williams regains the No. 1 ranking she first captured in 2002 and moves above Monica Seles on the list of women's Grand Slam singles champions headed by Margaret Court with 24. The American won her third major in the past six.
"When I think of these greats I don't necessarily think of my name," Williams, 27, told reporters. "I think people are starting to think of me with them which is just uber-cool."
The match tied for the third-most lop-sided Australian Open final -- only Court in 1962 and Steffi Graf in 1994 won in fewer games -- as Safina found no way to counter the Williams serve and struggled with her own. Williams won 20 of 21 points on her first serve and struck 23 winners to Safina's 14.
"I was just a ball boy on the court," Safina, 22, said.
Williams failed to find her best form early in the tournament -- Russia's Svetlana Kuznetsova served for the match in their quarterfinal -- only to top hit gear in a semifinal defeat of Elena Dementieva and again today.
‘Got Through'
"The first week was tough but we got through it," Williams said. "I was playing lazy tennis in the beginning and was doubting myself."
Williams won back-to-back majors for the first time since the 2003 Australian Open, which also followed the U.S. Open title. The most recent player to achieve the feat was Belgium's Justine Henin in the same tournaments a year later.
Williams raced through the first set in 22 minutes, winning 26 of 34 points as Safina toiled to contain her powerful ground strokes and lacked accuracy with her serves.
Williams broke for a 2-0 lead in the opener as Safina double-faulted three times. After holding her service to love to make it 3-0, the American went 30-0 up with two volleys and clinched her second straight break with a smash.
Williams held to love again and broke for the third straight time to take the set when Safina made her ninth unforced error.
Safina worked her only break point in the opening game of the second set, which she converted with a cross-court backhand winner. The revival was short-lived as Williams broke straight back when Safina over-hit a backhand.
Match Point
Williams's 14th winner put her 2-1 ahead and Safina's fifth double fault handed her opponent another break before Williams took another game to love for a 4-1 lead.
Safina got her second game when Williams struck a shot into the net and fell 2-5 behind before holding to make Williams serve out for the win. After moving to match point with a forehand winner, Williams secured the title when Safina put a drop shot wide -- her 21st unforced error to Williams's seven.
Williams, who two days ago passed golfer Annika Sorenstam as the top prize money-earner in women's sports history, also beat Russia's Maria Sharapova for the loss of three games to win the Australian Open two years ago.
She collected A$2 million ($1.3 million) today to lift her career winnings to $23.4 million. She also won the doubles title in Melbourne with sister Venus yesterday.
"I think the doubles really helped me out this fortnight," she said, referring to her struggle to play at her best.
Brother-Sister
It was Williams's sixth win in seven career meetings with Safina, who advances to No. 2 in the rankings. Safina was bidding for her first Grand Slam after losing to Ana Ivanovic in last year's French Open final.
She was also trying to join Marat Safin as a Grand Slam champion to become the first brother and sister to win majors.
The other players with more majors than Williams are Steffi Graf (22), Helen Wills Moody (19), Martina Navratilova (18), Chris Evert (18) and Billie Jean King (12).
Source:
Bloomberg.com: North American
