Williams vs. Sharapova: Winner, Future Implications from Australian Open Final
Serena Williams maintained her stranglehold over a one-sided rivalry with Maria Sharapova, defeating the familiar foe to secure her sixth Australian Open title and 19th Grand Slam crown.
The top two sides collided on Saturday in Melbourne. For the 16th straight time, Williams emerged victorious, winning in straight sets, 6-3, 7-6(7-5).
She celebrated by thanking her supporters, via the Women's Tennis Association's Instagram account.
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The star-studded bout again devolved into an easy triumph for Williams. Per AusOpen.com, she amassed 18 aces and 38 winners, while Sharapova mustered just five aces with 21 winners. Dominating with her imposing serve, the champion won 84 percent of her first-serve points.
She did all that while feeling under the weather. Afterwards she admitted, per an Associated Press report via ESPN.com, to enduring a cold.
"I had a really bad cough, I ended up throwing up, actually," Williams said. "I've never done that before. I guess there's a first time for anything. I think in a way that just helped me—I felt better after that."
Despite displaying some sluggishness with 25 errors, she salvaged a close second set with 18 of the match's 21 winners. In the end, the American kicked off 2015 in grand fashion.
With one more major win on her ledger, Williams continues to inch up on Steffi Graf, who holds the record for 22 Grand Slam titles. Although the milestone is now firmly in sight, she refuses to jump ahead that far, per the event's Twitter page.
It seems like just yesterday she burst on the scene, yet she's getting up there in age for an elite tennis icon. ESPN Stats & Info puts her continued success into perspective.
If she keeps playing at this rate, she'll have no trouble surpassing Grand Slam crown No. 22. A title-less 2011 created some doubt, but Williams has stormed back to win six of the past 11 major tournaments. There's no venue she can't handle, having won all four tournaments at least twice.
Sharapova has not topped Williams since 2004, when she won their second and third battles in the Wimbledon and Tour Championships finals. She has carved out a spot atop of the hierarchy, yet she remains a distant second to an adversary she can't find a way to overcome.
Although falling short again, she graciously praised Williams during the trophy ceremony, per The Associated Press' Jocelyn Gecker.
"I've got to congratulate Serena on creating history, on playing some of her best tennis," Sharapova said. "I haven't beaten her in a really long time. But I love every time I step on court against her, because she's been the best. And as a tennis player you want to play against the best."
The 27-year-old has captured five titles during an accomplished career, yet Williams has stymied her path to glory at every turn, eliminating Sharapova in five Grand Slam tournaments. This marks the fourth time they have met in a major final, with the last three replicating this weekend's outcome.
If not for her nemesis, Sharapova would be held in much higher regard, yet Williams has proven a sharp thorn in her side throughout the past decade. The two may meet again when Sharapova defends her French Open title.
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