Victoria Azarenka won her first Grand Slam title and became the new world No. 1 when she thrashed a disappointing Maria Sharapova in the Australian Open final yesterday.
The third seeded Belarussian overpowered the 2008 champion to win 6-3, 6-0 in 82 minutes to lift the trophy and become the fourth women’s first-time Grand Slam winner in a row.
“I can’t wait to be back next year, I’ve had an amazing month in Australia. It’s a dream true,” Azarenka said.
Photo: EPA
Azarenka came from 0-2 down in the first set to win 12 of the next 13 games for a comprehensive victory, as Sharapova’s game disintegrated in the face of all-out aggression from the Belarussian.
Sharapova made 30 unforced errors, while Azarenka played almost flawlessly at times with only 12 errors across the two sets.
“As in any sport you have your good days you have your tough days and you have days where things just don’t work out. Today Victoria was just too good,” Sharapova said. “It all comes down to the last two athletes, winner takes it all after all the players in the draw. I’ve had great wins here and I’ve had tough losses, but there’s no doubt I’ll be back.”
Azarenka won the toss and chose to serve, but she started nervously and dished up two double faults on her way to dropping the first game.
Sharapova consolidated to open a 2-0 lead and got to 0-30 on Azarenka’s next game, but the Belarussian seemed to shake off her nerves and slowly took control.
She stepped up to the baseline and took the ball early, pressuring Sharapova into mistakes, and soon Azarenka was dominating in all departments, matching the Russian’s power from the baseline and volleying confidently.
The 22-year-old broke back in the fourth game and broke again in the eighth before confidently serving for the first set.
And Azarenka started the second set with the same self-belief, breaking Sharapova’s first serve and coming back from 15-40 to hold her own and open a 2-0 lead.
Sharapova was becoming increasingly frustrated and, unusually for the three-time Grand Slam winner, she began to look to her coach Thomas Hogstedt in frustration.
However, Azarenka was in full control and she broke Sharapova twice more to go to 5-0 lead.
The Belarussian stepped up to serve for the championship, saving a break point and falling to her knees in delight when a Sharapova backhand crashed into the net.
Azarenka, who won the girls’ singles crown in 2005, became only the third woman in the open era to win the junior and senior titles at the Australian Open after Evonne Goolagong Cawley and Chris O’Neil.
She is also the first Belarussian to win a Grand Slam title, going one better than Natasha Zvereva, who finished runner up at the French Open in 1998.
Sharapova has now been runner-up at two of the past three Grand Slams, after losing last year’s Wimbledon decider to Petra Kvitova.
The three-time Grand Slam winner had been attempting to win her first major title since coming back from major shoulder surgery in October, 2008.
Azarenka will be confirmed as world No. 1 in the new women’s rankings released next week, ending Caroline Wozniacki’s long stay at the top.
BOYS
Australian Open boys’ champion Luke Saville blamed “raw emotion” yesterday after he swore in his acceptance speech on center court.
The 17-year-old Australian beat Canada’s Filip Peliwo 6-3, 5-7, 6-4 on Rod Laver Arena to go one better than last year, when he was defeated in the final by Czech Jiri Vesely.
After being presented with the trophy by Australian great Ken Rosewall, the top seed told spectators that winning the final felt a “shitload” better than losing.
Saville, who hails from Cobdogla, a country town of just 232 people in South Australia, admitted later he should probably have chosen his words more carefully.
MEN
In the men’s final today, defending champion Novak Djokovic will take on Rafael Nadal.
Djokovic saw off brave Andy Murray in five thrilling sets on Friday to stay on course for his third straight major title.
In a marathon match of 4 hours, 50 minutes, nudging the tournament record, the Serbian top seed stormed back from a set down to win 6-3, 3-6, 6-7 (4/7), 6-1, 7-5 and set up his meeting with Nadal.
The US’ bid for a fourth consecutive CONCACAF Nations League title came to a stunning end as they fell 1-0 to Panama after a stoppage-time goal from Cecilio Waterman on Thursday in Inglewood, California. Despite dominating possession, the US struggled to break down a resilient Panama side for long periods. Panama spent the bulk of the match defending, but pounced on a giveaway by the US before substitute forward Waterman sent a shot from the right side of the area to the bottom left corner late in stoppage time. Up next for Panama in tomorrow’s final is to be Mexico, who beat
DOMINATION: McLaren drivers Oscar Piastri and Lando Norris took the first two spots as Mercedes’ George Russell and Red Bull’s Max Verstappen followed them Australian Oscar Piastri yesterday roared back from season-opening disappointment in his home race by winning the Formula One Chinese Grand Prix from pole position in a McLaren one-two with championship-leading teammate Lando Norris. George Russell finished third for Mercedes, ahead of Red Bull’s reigning champion Max Verstappen with Ferrari’s Charles Leclerc and Saturday’s sprint winner Lewis Hamilton fifth and sixth respectively. Piastri’s win denied Norris a third victory in a row, including last year’s Abu Dhabi season-ender, but left champions McLaren unbeaten in two races so far this year. “Mega job guys. The car was very, very lovely,” Piastri said
TO FINAL FOUR: France had 22 chances and scored two goals, while Croatia could not manage a single shot on target in 120 minutes. Les Bleus won 5-4 on penalties France on Sunday overturned a two-goal deficit to qualify for the UEFA Nations League Final Four by eliminating Croatia 5-4 on penalties after a 2-0 victory in their quarter-final second leg at the Stade de France. Dayot Upamecano scored the winning spot kick in a nail-biting shootout in which France keeper Mike Maignan made two saves, sending Les Bleus into the semi-finals against Spain. Michael Olise opened the scoring and Ousmane Dembele doubled their lead 10 minutes from time to send the tie into extra time after their 2-0 loss in Split, Croatia, on Thursday. France had a total of
BRING THE NOISE: Brazil’s Fonseca attracted a boisterous crowd that brought such dominant soccer-style energy the referee switched to Portuguese to ask for quiet Australia’s Alex de Minaur on Monday put an end to Brazilian talent Joao Fonseca’s challenge at the Miami Open, outlasting the 18-year-old 5-7, 7-5, 6-3 in an enthralling contest. Attendance on stadium court had been sparse throughout the day, but the Hard Rock Stadium turned into a mini-Maracana Stadium for Fonseca’s match, complete with Brazilian flags and soccer-style chanting. Fonseca brought his energetic brand of ultra-attacking tennis, but De Minaur was up to the challenge, coping with blistering forehands and a partisan crowd. Such was the dominance of Fonseca’s raucous support that the referee switched to Portuguese for his appeals for quiet. However, De
RSS