Madrid Open 2012: Serena Williams' Stellar Performance Shows She's Far from Done

Don't call it a comeback, but...well, Serena Williams is anything but done.

Or, at least, would appear to be after demolishing Victoria Azarenka to win the 2012 Madrid Open on Sunday.

Williams appeared as powerful as ever in dominating Azarenka—the No. 1 ranked women's tennis player in the world. She routed the 22-year-old Belarus native, 6-1 6-3, to claim her second tournament title since returning from an illness that kept her out for much of the 2011 schedule.

Serena won every set but one in which she played while in the Spanish capital—her lone setback coming against sixth-ranked Caroline Wozniacki.

And in the final, Serena was so spectacular that the 22-year-old Azarenka, who won the Australian Open earlier this year, was reduced to smashing her racket in frustration before Williams put her out for good.

It's a tremendous uplift for women's tennis to see Serena back on the prowl. The 13-time Grand Slam champion added two to her total back in 2010, showing she had plenty left in the tank. But a foot injury, a hematoma and a pulmonary embolism kept her off the court for all except six events last year, raising concerns around the sport as to whether she was effectively done at the age of 30.

Her performance in Madrid, though, would seem to suggest otherwise. Another strong showing in the more traditional red clay in Rome (as opposed to the slippery "smurf" clay in Madrid) would set her up for a run at her third French Open title in Paris.

And stave off the oncoming twilight of her career for at least a little while longer.

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