Top-ranked Serena Williams won her 19th Grand Slam singles title, defeating
No. 2 Maria Sharapova, 6-3, 7-6 (5), today at the final of the Australian Open.
Williams, 33, beat Sharapova for the 16th consecutive time, a streak that
stretches to 2005. Sharapova last defeated Williams in November 2004, when
Sharapova was 17. Since that match, Williams and Sharapova have remained two of
the biggest stars in tennis, but their on-court rivalry has fizzled as
Sharapova won only three sets in their previous 15 matches.
Despite the longevity of their careers, this was only the fourth time
Williams and Sharapova had met in a Grand Slam final. And it was the first time
since 2004 that the No. 1- and No. 2-ranked women played for the trophy in
Melbourne.
Williams claimed her sixth Australian Open title, but her first since 2010.
With her 19th major singles championship, she is now second behind Steffi
Graf’s 22 for career Grand Slam titles in the Open era.
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