DawgTalkers.net Forums DawgTalk Tailgate Forum Williams wallops Sharapova for eighth Grand Slam.

Updated: Jan. 27, 2007, 12:04 AM ET
Williams wallops Sharapova for eighth Grand SlamAssociated Press


MELBOURNE, Australia -- Serena Williams won her eighth and most improbable Grand Slam title, overwhelming top-seeded Maria Sharapova 6-1, 6-2 in the Australian Open on Saturday.



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Only the second unseeded woman to win the Australian title in the Open era, Williams came into the tournament ranked No. 81 after spending most of last season on the sidelines because of a knee injury.


"I'm really enjoying this!" said Williams, who will jump to No. 14 next week.



It was her first title in 15 tournaments since winning the 2005 Australian Open, and the most dominating win in a completed championship match at Melbourne Park since Steffi Graf beat Arantxa Sanchez-Vicario 6-0, 6-2 in 1994.

Lowest-ranked
Grand Slam winners
Serena Williams entered the Australian Open final ranked No. 81 in the world. Here are the lowest-ranked women's Grand Slam winners since the computer rankings system began in November 1975:
Player Tournament Ranking
Evonne Goolagong 1977 Australian NR
Chris O'Neil 1978 Australian 111
Serena Williams 2007 Australian 81
Barbara Jordan 1979 Australian 68
Sue Barker 1976 French 18
Virginia Ruzici 1978 French 17
Venus Williams 2005 Wimbledon 16
Maria Sharapova 2004 Wimbledon 15
Jennifer Capriati 2001 Australian 14
Justine Henin-Hardenne 2005 French 12


Williams finished off Sharapova with a backhand winner, then threw her racket in the air and dropped onto her back on the court.


The 25-year-old American, also the 2003 champion, got up and skipped over to the side of the court, swapping high-fives with mother Oracene Price and other people in the stands before jogging back onto court with her arms up in triumph.


"I'd like to thank my mom. I was a bad student this fortnight," Williams said. "I yelled at her, said some things under my breath. But she just kept coming. I really appreciate it."


Williams dedicated the title to her half-sister, Yetunde Price, who was shot to death in 2003.


"Most of all I would like to dedicate this win to my sister, who's not here. Her name is Yetunde. I just love her so much," she said, her voice cracking. "I'll try not to get teary-eyed but I said a couple of days ago, if I win this it's going to be for her. So thanks Tunde."

Unseeded Grand Slam singles titlists (Open Era)
Year Champion Event Rank
2007 Serena Williams Australian Open 81
2004 Gaston Gaudio French Open 44
2001 Goran Ivanisevic Wimbledon 125
1997 Gustavo Kuerten French 66
19961 Richard Krajicek Wimbledon 13
1994 Andre Agassi U.S. Open 20
1985 Boris Becker Wimbledon 20
1982 Mats Wilander French Open 18
1978 Chris O'Neil Australian Open 111
1976 Mark Edmondson Australian Open 212

Chris O'Neill, who was ranked No. 111 when she won the 1978 title, was the only other unseeded woman to win an Australian Open.


Sharapova had no answers to Williams' power in her worst loss in a Grand Slam tournament.


"You can never underestimate her as a performer. ... I know what she's capable of and she showed that today," said Sharapova, who will assume the No. 1 ranking from Justine Henin. "She has showed it many, many times.


Williams saved match points in her semifinal win over Sharapova here two years ago before beating Lindsay Davenport in the final.


Williams started aggressively and never relented in the kind of form that helped her dominate women's tennis as she completed the "Serena Slam" with four consecutive majors up to the 2003 Australian Open.


She held to open and then won 12 straight points after Sharapova had a game point in the next to jump to a 4-0 lead. Williams saved a break point in the fifth game before Sharapova held at love to make it 5-1.


Williams served out, taking the first set in 26 minutes on her second set point when Sharapova sent a backhand service return wide.


The American broke Sharapova's serve and resolve again to open the second set, then had consecutive double-faults to give the 19-year-old Russian a break point chance in the next game. In a manner typical of her determined performance Saturday, Williams fired an ace to save the break point and held on back-to-back errors by Sharapova.


Williams led 4-0 before Sharapova held again, avoiding the most lopsided women's final ever in the Australian Open.


Serving for the match, Williams fired two aces to earn triple match point, then finished it off in 1 hour, 3 minutes with the backhand winner.


With occasional showers and a strong wind outside, the roof was closed on packed Rod Laver Arena.


Williams missed nine tournaments immediately after losing in the third round at the Australian Open last year and played only 16 matches in 2006, when she slumped as low as No. 140 in the rankings.


Despite only having three matches at a low-key warmup tournament in Hobart, she had was fit enough to advance over five seeded players.


Her win over No. 5 Nadia Petrova in the third round was her first over a top-10 player since she won the 2005 tournament.


Sharapova came into the match on a 13-match winning streak in Grand Slams, having won the U.S. Open last September.


After winning her first-round match in three sets over Camille Pin of France, Sharapova didn't drop a set in five rounds before the final.


In the men's final Sunday, top-ranked Roger Federer is aiming for a 10th major title against Grand Slam final newcomer Fernando Gonzalez.


Gonzalez overpowered Tommy Haas 6-1, 6-3, 6-1 in the semifinals Friday, a night after Federer beat No. 6 Andy Roddick 6-4, 6-0, 6-2.


"He's the No. 1 player in the world by far. ... I lost many times with him," Gonzalez said. "But now I'm playing much better than the last time we played. And it's only one match. I'm going to give everything that I have to try to win my first Slam."


Gonzalez is 0-9 against Federer, who has won nine of his 10 major finals.


Federer's victory over Roddick put him into a seventh consecutive Grand Slam final, tying a record set in 1934 by Jack Crawford.

http://sports.espn.go.com/sports/tennis/aus07/news/story?id=2744504


And wallop her she did. Wow! Now I'm not much of a Tennis fan but I was expecting a decent match between the two. I'm not surprised that Serena won but I am surprised she crushed her.

Serena has about the most powerful serve and return I've ever seen from a woman and it may rival most men....

Yeah them Williams' Brothers are really something.

But even in defeat, Maria looked good!!

Watched it last night, it was a total blowout.
Sharapova was a bit off, and Williams was on fire, hitting with a lot of confidence.

"That's a man Baby "!!!!

Sharapova is a major babe.

She should have won

Too bad, no new pictures of Sharapova till they have a new Tennis season (or whatever it is).

Quote:

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Serena has about the most powerful serve and return I've ever seen from a woman and it may rival most men ....

---

Since you put one of these > < after that sentence, I assume you were joking, which is what I hope you were doing.

Serena plays a lot better when she's not trying to market horrible clothing lines.

Well lamp, actually, it was sort of half joking and half serious. I really do think she has the most powerful serve I've ever seen a woman deliver. Also I'm not so sure she couldn't really rival a guy, maybe not Federher (sp) but anybody else maybe.

Remember Billie

Billie Jean King was in her prime or just barely past it - and she beat a man in his 50s who'd never been much good in the first place.

Serena's awesome for sure - for a woman.
But I'm 99.9 per cent certain that if Serena Williams (or any woman ranked #1) played the 500th-ranked man in the world, she would get her ass kicked.

There are men playing U.S. college tennis who would destroy her. She wouldn't be used to the kind of pace a good male player can show her, and her speed & power would not be intimidating to those guys at all because they've dealt with much more speed & power from playing good male players.
I'm not a chauvinist, just being realistic.

I have never been one that would sit on the couch with cold drink in hand and watch a tennis match and enjoy it!

All of that changed when I started watching Sharapova...........she adds new dimension to the game!

The appropriate dress code for her below: