World No 1,
Serena Williams came through a rain delay and a coughing fit to show that, at 33, she still reigns supreme in women’s tennis by claiming her second Grand Slam in succession and her nineteenth in all by beating
Maria Sharapova 6-3 7-6 (5) in an interrupted and furiously competitive
Australian Open final.
A wet and chilly night here was warmed by the feverish intensity between Williams and her nearest challenger, who could not break the American’s long running dominance over her.
Rain caused a delay at 3-2 in the first set that was added to by Williams having to receive medical attention for a coughing fit caused by the cold that has been plaguing her for most of the fortnight.
Her response was furious, coming back out and producing an astonishing display of power serving in hammering down eighteen aces, the fastest of which came at 127 mph.
Williams has now moved ahead of
Martina Navratilova and
Chris Evert in the all time Grand Slam-winning title stakes, and is now only three off
Steffi Graf. If she stays fit then you would not bet against her overhauling that.
Photo credits: AP / Getty Image
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