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Dominance: Victoria Azarenka beats Maria Sharapova to win Australian Open, move to No. 1

By Chris Chase | Busted Racquet – Sat, Jan 28, 2012 8:48 AM EST

(Getty Images)

Women's tennis has a new Grand Slam champion and a new No. 1 player in the world.

Victoria Azarenka defeated Maria Sharapova 6-3, 6-0 in Saturday night's Australian Open final to win her first Grand Slam title. The emphatic victory vaults Azarenka to the No. 1 ranking, replacing Caroline Wozniacki.

Sharapova got off to a quick start in the match, going up 2-0 in the first set and 30-0 on Azarenka's serve in the third game. The Belarusian then rattled off 10 straight points and cruised to a first-set victory.

[Check out photos from the 2012 Australian Open]

The second set was even easier. With Sharapova's serve giving her the usual troubles, Azarenka capitalized. It wasn't the double faults that did in Sharapova, it was her fear of them. A lack of confidence on her second serve led to her losing 14 of those 17 points. Azarenka broke in every service game of the second set, handing Sharapova a 6-0 bagel.

It was one of the most dominating performances in a Grand Slam final in recent years.

Azarenka fell to the baseline when Sharapova netted a shot on match point. "What happened?" she yelled to her player's box. "It's crazy."

Unlike other first-time finalists, Azarenka never showed nerves being on the sport's biggest stage. Her brashness and confidence served her well, even as she struggled early. The 22-year-old responded to questionable calls with a sarcastic smile and she danced in the service box before the start of the second set.

Sharapova knew she was bested.

"As in any sport you have your good days, you have your tough days and you have your days where things don't work out," Sharapova said to the crowd after the match. "Today, Victoria was better on so many levels and played too good."

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57 comments

Joseph M • Miami, Florida • 3 months ago
sharapova is just too slow its time for her to retiore. she got Spanked by azarenka in style.
- anfernee 3 months ago
  She is just 24 and you are sending her to retirement? She has easily 6-8 more years at the top level... She looked slow because Azarenka was hitting like possessed. Sharapova was playing catch up all the time.
  Remember two years ago, Azarenka was outhitting Serena Williams (pre-foot injury) and kicking her out of the court, when she got injured and couldn't keep playing . But she was all over Serena, basically hitting harder than Williams. Serena was playing catch up and at the end got lucky. That was in Miami. If i recall it was in 2010. Maybe 2009.
- Delores b 3 months ago
  Where is Fart-Finder, Igor L and TA. You all talk a lost of chit, especially Fart-Finder and Igor L. Fart-finder please don't show your ugly name on this board again. If you changed your name, I will know who you are, because you talk chit constantly. Oh! by the way. Kim Clijsters ranking dropped to #58. Who is the #$%$ now. Serena ranking moved up to 10. Hahahahahaaha. #$%$
anfernee • 3 months ago
Azarenka has a nice , round, prominent, yet tight and very nicely structured rear end! Didn't notice that before...! i guess being #1 grabs more attention from the peanut gallery!
- Walter 3 months ago
  She has great legs too
- tuuuuuunaa 3 months ago
  Really? In the face, I see Peyton Manning with dimples...probably more of a compliment to Peyton than an insult to Vika.
s2kreno • 3 months ago
Couldn't bring myself to watch. Their shrieks break my Mimosa glasses...
- The One 3 months ago
  Why not? You had two options. Turn the volume down or use the mute funtion.
- kiyo 3 months ago
  I watched it with Mute button ON.
WaymanIII • Denver, Colorado • 3 months ago
Sharapova is a very good tennis player, however when someone gets her out of her rhythmic plan A game plan there is no plan B except to hit harder and characteristically generate more unforced errors. Looks like she took Azarenka and Kvitova for granted just like Serena took her for granted for her first Grand Slam win. The younger players are hungrier and if they get over their nervousness they are extremely dangerous to the veterans.
- tuuuuuunaa 3 months ago
  I agree. Serena, Vika and Petra will continue to be her Achilles for the remainder of her career because they know how to exploit her immobility and essentially take away the power from the baseline. I don't think she takes them for granted, she just doesn't have a counter punch to their game because they force her play by their terms. I hate when people misconstrue this as Maria coming out flat, when really, she’s being neutralized in front our very own eyes. She is a warrior and will ALWAYS bring the intensity, if she had no other weapon, I will always be a fan of hers for this reason alone. Maria can be proud of the fact that she didn't beat herself (vintage post-op Maria) but rather she was soundly man-handled by Vika.
peter p • Encino, California • 3 months ago
What happened? This is crazy!!!
- Sheila G. S 3 months ago
  Sure it was "crazy" alright. Vika knew that she came with her game face on and feeling confident that she would emerge the victor but, that last set was a bonified beat down on Maria and she just could not believe that Maria put forth very little effort in that last set which was one of the reasons she said what just happened.
toiletfloat • Phoenix, Arizona • 3 months ago
You know it's a sign of the Apocalypse when Chase correctly makes a prediction.
Tacopielover • Rockford, Illinois • 3 months ago
@Nakia1..... I am glad Sharapova lost too, but Azarenka's screech has been measured as the loudest and longest lasting of them all. Her screeches have lasted until her opponent is hitting the ball back at times! Thats a hindrance!
Paco • Kansas City, Missouri • 3 months ago
Go Vika!
Khaotic • 3 months ago
Beatdown city in Melbourne. How are you liking that woodshed Maria?
doh • 3 months ago
boiiing
droog • 3 months ago
Congratulations to Victoria. Nice going!!
Teresito F • Manila, Philippines • 3 months ago
Congrats Victoria Azarenka for winning Australian open final.
John T • Tacoma, Washington • 3 months ago
All week, there were people *guaranteeing* Sharapova was going to win, and that no one else had a chance. Guess we learned what your "guarantee" is worth.

This is why the games are played.

You can't know what will and will not happen. You can *think* she will win, you can *want* her to win, you can *hope* she wins, but you can never *guarantee* that she will win.
df • Chatsworth, California • 3 months ago
condolences to maria (grunt like a pig) sharapova
Thomas • Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania • 3 months ago
I didn't watch the match, Can't watch any match Sharipova plays in. The constant, continuous grunting is sickening and deafening. She isthe reason why I won't watch tennis on TV. This winner looks like a fox. Hope she doesn't grunt like a pig in heat the way Sharipova does. Glad she doesn't look like a man or an amazon.
df • Chatsworth, California • 3 months ago
condolences to maria (grunt like a pig) sharapova
machocomacho • 3 months ago
Vika played great, but really, Sharapova was pathetic. I can't believe they get equal prize money. Match over in less than an hour........................
MIKE • 3 months ago
That's what I call A "Big-Bird" "BEAT-DOWN". LOL!!
mariw • 3 months ago
congrats victoria
ron yepp • Hermosa Beach, California • 3 months ago
Well , Maria Sharapova has a great ground game , truely one of the best,which includes forehand and backhands and excellent footwork.
Too bad, Maria at 6 feet two did not use her topspin serve which every other top level player uses to prevent double faulting; and, gain some confidence and service rhythm. This has been her achelles heel for years.
Maria Sharapova is still a a great player but needs to revaluate her service game.