Overpowering - that was Serena Williams in her latest victory over Maria Sharapova, who can’t catch a break against her rival.
Serena Williams speaking to Channel 7 in Australia:
It was super intense. She’s an incredibly intense focused player...when you’re playing someone like that you have to come out with a lot of fire and intensity.
Williams is also asked about multiple visits from the doctor, but skirts around the question.
I’d say she posted all of her answers on the court, don’t you?
Williams faces Agnieszka Radwanska of Poland next as she bids for a 22nd grand slam title. We’ll have more live rolling reports of the 2016 Australian Open, but for now, thanks for reading and goodbye.
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Final: Williams 6-4, 6-1 Sharapova
Advantage Sharapova - screaming as she forces Williams long.
But Williams is right back, taking two straight points, and finally, this match, after Sharapova fails yet again to compete after being overpowered by her first serve.
Well, that was quick.
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Second set: *Williams 6-4, 5-1 Sharapova (*denotes server)
Sharapova, a blistering return down the line, no chance for Williams - but Serena is challenging the call. No dice, it’s 30-40.
Can Maria break Williams here?
Not yet anyway - Sharapova is off balance on Williams’ second serve. Deuce as Sharapova fights for survival.
Second set: *Williams 6-4, 5-1 Sharapova (*denotes server)
Serena is serving for the match, and challenges a call on the first rally of the game. Was Sharapova’s shot long?
No. It’s 0-15. Or, 15-15 after a Williams ace freezes Shrapova.
More mastery from Williams, again using her serve to take control, forcing a weak return before a Serena smash. 30-15.
Then Serena is long, and it’s 30-30.
Second set: Williams 6-4, 5-1 Sharapova* (*denotes server)
Sharapova and Williams, a baseline rally, ended when Maria hits long. Then a strong first serve by the Russian that Williams can’t handle and it’s 15-15.
Now a fabulous return off a strong first serve puts Sharapova off balance, eventually landing her reply in the net. 15-30.
Second serve - an awkward shot from Williams who was jammed, makes it 30-30.
Now Sharapova puts Williams off balance with her first serve and puts away her weak shot, and follows that with an ace.
Maria’s got a game here.
Second set: *Williams 6-4, 5-0 Sharapova (*denotes server)
Williams is on fire - wide serve, weak reply, volley smash, point over.
Serena’s double fault seems like charity rather than a window of opportunity at 30-15. Yet, Williams is long on the net point and it’s 30-30.
Can Sharapova somehow find a way to break Williams?
Not after a piercing forehand winner on the run makes it 40-30. Game point - a let on second service and Sharapova survives to reach deuce.
It looks like a Williams ace, but Maria challenges and wins - it’s second service - although it didn’t look like a second serve. It sends Maria into the corner and the reply is easily put away.
Williams has another ace next, and it’s nearly over in Melbourne...already.
Second set: Williams 6-4, 4-0 Sharapova* (*denotes server)
Life from Sharapova? No. Williams breaks Maria yet again in another cake-walk of a game, that comes after yet another visit from the doctor. The end is near.
Second set: *Williams 6-4, 3-0 Sharapova (*denotes server)
This could wrap up quickly now. After being punished so regularly by Williams, how can Sharapova stay strong mentally?
The Russian is down 40-o.
And now she’s half way from being out - Williams’ 10th ace makes it 3-0. Serena is unrelenting.
Second set: Williams 6-4, 2-0 Sharapova* (*denotes server)
Is this where the second set fightback begins for Maria?
She’s down 15-30 after Willliams drags Sharapova around the court, finally beating her down the line with a forehand.
Now Maria stretches her opponent into the corner, setting up 30-30 before taking command on a ripping forehand that Serena, buried in the corner, can’t come close to reaching.
Another opportunity...lost. A two-handed back hander that Maria can’t handle, pushing long - deuce.
Now it’s advantage Williams, whose power game forces Maria into the net.
Will the Russian break here early?
Sharapova, initially survives a weak second serve before failing to catch up with a baseline winner from Williams.
It gets late early out there...
Second set: *Williams 6-4, 1-0 Sharapova (*denotes server)
Any concerns about the health of Williams are unfounded as the American streaks to a 40-0 victory in the first game of the second set.
Gut check time for Sharapova.
Serena's cooking now. Have to think that break point for Maria at 4-4, 30-40 was really more like a match point. #AusOpen
— Spencer Dandes (@sdandes) January 26, 2016
I buy that...
The doctor is out tending to Serena Williams. There was no medical timeout. Perhaps it’s the Melbourne heat, even though it’s been cooler than usual. Anyway, Williams is back and seems to be just fine. Second set coming up.
First set: Williams 6-4 Sharapova
That is an absolute killer - if you’re Sharapova, looking to snap a 17-game losing streak to your challenger, and you’re up 2-0, you need to carry that through to a first set victory. To force four set points, coming from behind in all of them only to fall in a game that spans roughly 10 minutes, is a massive blow. Can she recover?
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First set: Williams 5-4 Sharapova* (*denotes server)
Williams! An incredible rejection of Maria’s serve, into the corner past Sharapova.
Maria recovers, back-to-back points and now it’s 30-30. Long rally and Williams is on the run, back, forth - cross-court shots that eventually yield a small victory.
It’s short-lived. A bizarre bounce off a net cord goes Williams’ way and to bring up deuce. Now it’s ad-Williams, her raw power forcing Sharapova long.
Set point here - and Serena goes for it all on a second serve return and sends it straight to the net! It’s deuce again.
Set point again - Williams sending a second serve down the line and there’s no chance for Maria.
But we’re back to deuce again - Sharapova refusing to fold. An unforced error does helps the Russian.
Now Maria has a chance to beat Serena at the net but lands it long! Another set point coming up - the third of this game!
And get this - Williams sends yet another second serve back into the net. So Maria continues to hold on here - this game is over eight minutes long now.
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First set: *Williams 5-4 Sharapova (*denotes server)
ESPN’s lead commentator is unhappy that Serena is bringing her grunt back.
She looks like taking the lead back as well after a laser forehand crushed on the run puts her up 40-30.
One tremendous rally later, one which featured a save by Serena in the far corner, and it’s deuce.
Maria has six double faults, but Williams recovers from one of her own, hitting back with an ace to level back to deuce.
Rinse and repeat - we’re at deuce again now, and Williams beats Sharapova wide with an ace. So she can hold serve here...
First serve is wide. Second serve starts a another long rally - Williams, a miss-hit, followed by a Sharapova forehand that Serena hits into the net - deuce again!
A wide serve by Williams forces Maria into the net before an ace down the middle makes it 5-4.
Sharapova had an opportunity to break Williams there, and couldn’t convert.
First set: Williams 4-4 Sharapova* (*denotes server)
Talk about timing, just as ESPN talks about how much better Sharapova has been serving, another double fault, her fourth. Then Serena takes a bit bite into another Sharapova second serve and forces the Russian into the net to go up 30-0.
Double fault, again. No5. Maria has to play a perfect game to beat Serena, and this isn’t it.
But wait...she lands her first serve four times on the trot, and that brings predictable results for Maria - four straight points: advantage Sharapova!
Then she doesn’t land her first serve but she does smack an accurate forehand away from Williams, which brings emotion from Sharapova and fist pumps from her coaches. It’s 4-4!
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First set: *Williams 4-3 Sharapova (*denotes server)
Sharapova, reverses a sizzling serve from Williams past her left side to make it 30-30! But Serena wins a challenge to go up 40-30 and then blows Maria away with an ace to hold serve and go up a game.
First set: Williams 3-3 Sharapova* (*denotes server)
Sharapova has struggled with her first serve, but lands it here, and is able to put Serena on the run, forcing her long.
Serena, down 30-15, is wild on her cross-court volley, which sail just wide. Sharapova evens the set when a frustrated Williams mis-hits long. We’re tied.
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First set: *Williams 1-2 Sharapova (*denotes server)
Serena has advantage and then aces her way to her first game of the sizzling Australia Day in Melbourne
First set: *Williams 3-2 Sharapova (*denotes server)
Serena is digging in, her baseline power forcing a Sharapova reply into the net, before delivering a blistering ace down the center line. 30-love.
Then Sharapova challenges an out ruling, and wins herself a replay and a point, before another Williams ace blows by the Russian.
Serena holds her serve, forcing Sharapova long to take the game and her first lead of the match.
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First set: Williams 2-2 Sharapova* (*denotes server)
Serena levels at 15-15, punishing Sharapova’s second serve. I was just thinking how important it is for Sharapova to be dead on with her first serve, but then she forces Maria long on second service to go up 30-15. She won’t get away with that for long...
Case in point - two double-faults later (her second and third of the match), Serena can break Sharapova.
Maria, a cross-court volley that’s wide, and we’re level. Missed opportunities for the Russian, squandering a two-game first set lead.
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First set: *Williams 1-2 Sharapova (*denotes server)
Serena looks like she’s going to ease to her first game of the match so far but Sharapova brings it back to deuce. But Serena pulls off a few aces of her own and she’s on the board.
First set: *Williams 0-2 Sharapova* (*denotes server)
And it’s a long way to go but Sharapova is up and fighting. A focused Sharapova, holds that break escaping from 30-30 and sealing the game with an ace.
First set: *Williams 0-1 Sharapova (*denotes server)
Apologies, some technical prolems delayed the start but we’re back now. Serena was broken in the first game - what a blow for Sharapova against her old rival.
Williams vs Sharapova: tale of the tape!
34 Age 28
5ft 9in Height 6ft 2in
1 World ranking 5
1 Seeding 5
69 Career titles 34
21 Grand slam titles 5
597-144 career record 737-123
$$74,083,421 Career prize money $36,484,486
18 Head-to-head 2
Pretty one-sided, as discussed, everywhere, over the past 24 hours. They last met at Wimbledon where Serena made it 17 straight at the semis in a 6-2, 6-4 win.
Here’s a few more stats, if that’s your thing.
Last 17 meetings between S. Williams and M. Sharapova: Wins: 17-0 In Majors: 6-0 On hard: 10-0 In finals: 7-0 Sets: 34-3 .…close! #AusOpen
— Fabio Valente (@FabioValenteTNN) January 25, 2016
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In case you thought I was kidding about the narrow storyline coming into this match-up...
There have been three popes since Maria Sharapova last beat Serena Williams.
— Daniel Harris (@DanielHarris) January 25, 2016
The last time Sharapova beat Williams, Ronald Regan was in office...
Serena And Venus Williams with president Reagan and his wife Nancy in 1990 https://t.co/XysUATv5TK pic.twitter.com/PoZE3ORxmE
— Old Pics Archive (@oldpicsarchive) January 25, 2016
It’s a finals calibre match, two rounds early, and thats just fine for many lovers of the game who can’t wait to sink their teeth into such a potentially rich encounter.
So, how can Serena be beaten? Well, first off, Maria will have to reach a level that hasn’t been on display thus far. Sharapova has committed no fewer than 133 unforced errors against talent that is, needless to say, stratospheres away from what Williams brings to the hard, plexicushion surface of Melbourne Park.
Menwhile, Serena has spent much of her down time wandering the streets of the second city, a lonely American abroad. In between long aimless, time-killing walks, she’s thrashed Camila Giorgi, Hsieh Su-wei, Daria Kasatkina and another Russian, Margarita Gasparyan while committing just 63 unforced errors.
Seeking out a bright side for the Russian? Well, Sharapova is serving well at the moment, having out-aced Williams 52-25. However, the moneyball look at that stat says that’s only because one of Maria’s opponents was a 5-foot-1 Lauren Davis, who just couldn’t cover enough ground to compete against her service. So even when searching out a bright side for Sharapova, darkness seeps in...
Hello, and welcome to our live, bounce-by-bounce coverage of the Australian Open final eight match-up between Serena Williams and sugar queen Maria Sharapova.
Of course, tennis life hasn’t been too sweet for the Russian product, at least when it comes to her encounters with the women’s no1 over the years. It’s all that can be discussed pre-match - just how much the American has beaten up on Sharapova since then then 16-year-old beat Serena in 2004 in what must today seem like a rock solid case of beginners luck.
The 1990’s New York Knicks ran into historic Chicago Bulls teams, the great Brooklyn Dodgers ballclubs of the 40’s and 50’s mostly fell to the Yankees, and Sharapova has also, obviously, been at the wrong place at the wrong time. It doesn’t mean she’s not a tremendous tennis player, of course she is. It just means she is unlucky to be playing in an era completely dominated by Serena.
And yet here’s another chance to shake her bogey-woman, at Melbourne, in the same tournament where Serena has punished her so many times.
Can she finally get over the hump? Stand by for grand slam tennis action.
David will be here soon. In the meantime, here’s what Maria Sharapova had to say about her prospects of overturning a 17-match losing streak against Serena Williams:
It’s not like I think about what I can do worse. You’re always trying to improve. I got myself into the quarter-final of a grand slam. There is no reason I shouldn’t be looking to improve and to getting my game in a better position than any other previous round. It’s only going to be tougher – especially against Serena.”
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