Tenth Grand Slam and the world's top spot for Serena
Tenth Grand Slam and the world's top spot for Serena
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Woman on top: World No 1 American Serena Williams poses with the Australian Open trophy after beating Russia's Dinara Safinau00a0 6-0, 6-3 in the women's singles final at Melbourne Park on Saturday. pics/AFP |
In one of the most lop-sided deciders ever, the American dominated third seed Safina, allowing her to win only eight points in the first set and claiming the championship in less than an hour.
"I'm so excited... I clearly love playing here and I get great support here. I don't get that every place I go," Williams said, after winning the first women's night final played at the Rod Laver Arena.
Williams, the second seed, emphatically backed up her pre-tournament comments that she was the best women's tennis player in the world and will now officially reclaim the top ranking from Serbia's Jelena Jankovic.
She also became the highest ever prize-money winner in women's sport during the tournament and took the women's doubles title with her sister Venus on Friday.
Williams said she was thrilled to join the likes of Steffi Graf and Martina Navratilova in the elite group of women with 10 or more Grand Slams.
"I idolised Steffi Graf," she said. "When I played her I was like 'Oh My God, it's Steffi Graf' and Martina Navratilova was someone who was my role model, so when I think of these greats I don't really think of my name, I think of them.
"I think people are starting to think of me (in those terms), which is uber-cool, I can't even get my mind around that."
Safina, whose brother Marat Safin won the men's title in 2005, said that Serena left her feeling like "a ball boy on the court today."
"She played exactly the way she had to play and she was much more aggressive and she was just taking time away from me," the 22-year-old said.
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