Serena Williams is making the rounds on the talk show circuit following her win at the Australian Open. She spoke with Jimmy Kimmel about her $92,000 fine and being a part owner of the Miami Dolphins but, honestly, all I could focus on was how she was able to sit so elegantly in a dress that was almost as revealing as what her sister wore in Melbourne. 

On Wednesday Serena appeared on Ellen and took target practice on some plates with the affable talk-show host. I post this clip not because of anything Serena does, but because of how good Ellen's serve looks:

Much like when Venus played Wii Tennis with Conan O'Brien, it's sort of surprising how bad Serena's form is. Granted, she's hitting in high heels, but she looks like someone playing on muni courts rather than the best tennis player in the world. Ellen, on the other hand: Maybe she should try out for one of those U.S. Open qualifiers.

Thanks, Down The Line!

Game Point is Busted Racquet's roundup of facts, figures and links about the tennis world.

Love -- Not surprisingly, the two winners in Melbourne held on to the top spots in the rankings. Serena Williams and Roger Federer begin February as the No. 1 players in the world. It's Federer's 268th week at the top, tying him with Jimmy Connors for third all-time. Barring an unforseen development, Federer should pass Pete Sampras's record in early June. Novak Djokovic moved to No. 2 in the new rankings, while Rafael Nadal fell out of the top three for the first time in five years.

15 -- Andy Murray was trying to become the first British man to win a Grand Slam in 74 years. The Guardian details the story of the last Brit to do it: Fred Perry in 1936.

30 -- FOX Sports tries to jinx Roger Federer by pointing out he hasn't missed a Grand Slam since 1999. 

40 -- Jon Wertheim has 50 thoughts on the Australian Open. I'd like to add No. 51: I liked it a lot better when the women's final was on in primetime in the United States.

Game -- An anagram of "Andy Murray" is not "genuine class". But after his emotional runner-up speech Sunday in Melbourne, it wouldn't surprise me. Watch it, if only for the line about crying:

One year ago Roger Federer's performance in the Australian Open final led to speculation that the great men's tennis champion was at the precipice of a steep decline. He lost a five setter to his nemesis Rafael Nadal and cried on the court following the defeat. This year, the only speculation coming from Federer's performance in the Aussie final is whether he can win tennis's Grand Slam. And it was his opponent who was left in tears.

Roger Federer won his 16th Grand Slam title Sunday in Melbourne, defeating the great Brit hope Andy Murray, 6-3, 6-4, 7-6 (11). It was all Roger for the first two sets, but Murray threatened to make it a match when he took a 5-2 lead in the third. One Federer break equaled the score at 5-5 en route to a victory in a lengthy tiebreaker which included five set points for Murray. After the match Murray said, "I can cry like Roger, it's just a shame I can't play like him."

Federer drew some flak earlier in the weekend when he made comments to the press suggesting that he didn't have as much riding on the match as Murray, who was seeking his first Grand Slam and the first for a Brit since 74 years. That could have been a genuine statement (getting No. 1 is much more meaningful than No. 16) or it could have been a deliberate attempt to put more pressure on Murray. The 22-year old is well-known for getting too much into the moment during big matches and letting the mounting distractions weigh on his game. At Wimbledon, where Murray is the nation's favorite son, his results have been considered disappointing, at best.

He'll have his time, though. Federer said as much in his post-match press conference: "Andy you are too good not to win a Grand Slam, so don't worry about it."

Federer's exactly right, Murray will get his Grand Slam at some point. With the way Federer is playing though, that eventual victory might come later rather than sooner.

The 2010 Australian Open was won last September the moment a lineswoman called a foot fault on Serena Williams in the semifinals of the U.S. Open.

The resulting tirade and national furor over it weighed heavily on the 11-time Grand Slam champ, though she'd never admit to it. She proved as much with her play in Melbourne over the past two weeks. Other than one set against Victoria Azarenka and 19 points against Justine Henin, Serena Williams was in another stratosphere during the year's first Grand Slam.

She proved that, without a doubt, she's the best player in the world ... when she wants to be. Make no mistake about it: When Serena Williams wants to win - and I mean wants it - the only person who can stop her is Serena herself.

That almost happened Saturday. During the latter stages of the second set and beginning portions of the third, Williams watched her opponent, Justine Henin, win 18 of 19 points. What had been two chances to go up a break at 4-2 in the second quickly turned into a Henin rout and the first third set in a women's Grand Slam final since Wimbledon 2006.

It was anticlimactic. After trading breaks early in the set, Serena stormed to a 3-2 lead en route to a 6-2 final-set victory.

Henin had changed up her strategy a bit for the match - she was more offensive than usual, trying to force Serena into mistakes - and it worked for that short stretch in the second set. In the end, though, Serena's serve and two-handed backhand were too much for the Belgian in her Grand Slam comeback.

Serena will always have the stain from Flushing Meadow on her career. Saturday in Melbourne, however, she took the first steps to making it fade. I think that was the point.

Who: (1) Serena Williams v. Justine Henin 

What: Australian Open women's final

Where: Melbourne, Australia; Rod Laver Arena

When: 3:30 a.m. ET (Saturday morning)

Five things to watch: 1. Williams and Henin have combined to win 18 Grand Slams throughout their careers, making this the most heavily-decorated final since Steffi Graf last won a major in the previous century. Amazingly -- and this is truly amazing -- this is the first time the women have met in a Slam final. Serena leads the all-time series, 7-6.

2. The contrasts should make for a fascinating match, should you be able to stay awake for its start. Serena's firepower against Henin's efficient groundstrokes. Serena's booming serves against Henin's erratic tosses. Serena's heavily-bandaged legs against Henin's tired ones.

3. The most infamous match between the two came in the semifinals of the French Open in 2003. Henin won in three, after which Serena left the court crying and accusing the Belgian of "cheating, lying and fabricating." Their post-match handshake was as cold as you'll see and earned Serena boos from the fans at Roland Garros:

4. Serena ran into another Belgian on the comeback trail during the last Grand Slam, losing that infamous match to Kim Clijsters at the 2009 U.S. Open. Few expected Clijsters to beat Serena that evening, much for the same reasons that Henin is the considerable underdog in this match: In only her second tournament people wonder whether she can stand up to the grind of a seventh match in 12 days.

5. Make an argument for either Serena or Justine and I wouldn't argue. No result -- Henin in blowout, Henin in three, Serena in blowout, Serena in three -- would surprise me. But when Serena has the passion it's tough to beat her. I think the incident at the U.S. Open focused her on getting back on track in Melbourne which is why Busted Racquet predicts: Serena Williams in two sets.

Women's doubles final: Venus & Serena Williams d. Cara Black & Liezel Huber, 6-4, 6-3

Venus and Serena Williams won their 11th Grand Slam doubles title Friday in Melbourne. As usual they made it look so simple that it's easy to take it for granted. Here, in the middle of Serena's run to a 12th major, the sisters play mid-day doubles matches in the heat even though nobody would bat an eyelid if they didn't. The talk is always about whether Venus and Serena are focused enough on tennis. The question is a valid one for 44 weeks of the year, but not at the eight weeks during the majors. If they didn't care, what would be the purpose of playing doubles? It's not like this win gets major coverage Stateside. They surely don't need the money. And why risk injury?

Whatever this reason, the 11 major wins are a remarkable achievement. The sisters have won a combined 18 singles majors, but still play in the doubles competitions and run over the best teams in the world despite not practicing and playing few events beyond the Grand Slams. Chalk it up to another remarkable feat for the two sisters who started their careers on the courts of Compton.

This is a common theme on Busted Racquet but I harp on it because I don't think it's appreciated enough: They are sisters. They grew up in an area not generally associated with tennis. They were hyped from an early age. And they proved to be as good as advertised. They lived up to the billing. Think what you will of them, but women's tennis in the 2000s was the Williams sisters and everyone else. 2010 is starting out that way too.

Men's singles semifinal: (1) Roger Federer d. (10) Jo-Wilfried Tsonga, 6-2, 6-3, 6-2

Andy Murray can't be pleased with what he saw out of Roger Federer last night. The 15-time Grand Slam champ put down one of the most thorough beatdowns of a top-ranked player that you'll ever see in a Grand Slam semifinal, dispatching of Jo-Wilfried Tsonga in 88 minutes. Murray will have to contend with that on Sunday when he plays Federer in his first Aussie Open final.

As The Australian wrote in Saturday's editions:

Certainly Jo-Wilfried Tsonga, the Frenchman humbled last night on the same court Murray hopes will prove a lucky charm, will attest to that after being reduced to basically the role of spectator as Federer produced another masterpiece.

Asked following the defeat if anyone could defeat Federer if he again reached the level displayed last night, Tsonga's answer was as succinct as the result.

"I think nobody," he said.

Tsonga is generally regarded as one of the most athletic and speedy players on tour. Federer is fast, of course, but is thought of as more methodical and judicious in his movements. But then you put the two on the court and Federer is the one making Tsonga looks slow. He doesn't thunder to the balls like the Frenchman does, but he never seems to have to. Federer is always in the right spot. And he succeeds in slowing Tsonga down, putting drop shots just out of reach and making him streak crosscourt for a weak forehand attempt. 

Federer put on a clinic Friday at the Australian Open. Though Murray is more on his level than Tsonga, don't be surprised if it happens again on Sunday.

Another Grand Slam, another fan trespassing on the court.

This time it came during an Australian Open men's semifinal between Andy Murray and Marin Cilic. As the pair were shaking hands at the net following Murray's four-set victory, a man casually walked onto the court, extended has hand to Cilic, got a handshake in return and then slowly jaunted off as if he had no care in the world. It was only after about 45 seconds that security realized what was happening and approached the man to escort him off the court. (You can watch the video below.)

Later Cilic said of the incident:

"The fan got excited and he wanted to shake my hand, so I shook his hand. He was happy afterwards."

This is the third time in the past year that a men's Grand Slam match has been marred by a fan walking onto the playing surface. During the men's final at the French Open, eventual champion Roger Federer dodged a man who rushed the court dressed in Swiss colors and holding a flag for the Barcelona soccer team. (What is it about tennis/soccer fans? The guy who shook Cilic's hand is wearing the jersey of the Croatian national team.) And at the U.S. Open a man stormed the court to give Rafael Nadal a kiss on the cheek.

Whenever an interloper makes his way onto the court the knee-jerk reaction is to think "Monica Seles!" and instantly proclaim that tennis needs more security. What the sport really needs is security that isn't asleep at the wheel. As evidenced in the video and in various pictures, there are plenty of guys in yellow shirts standing around the court. The problem is that none of them move.

If nobody moves when there's a threat, then increased security would lead to increased incompetence. It would also be terrible for fans. Nobody wants to see the first few rows of centre court cordoned off or to have police in riot gear lining Rod Laver Arena. The intimacy of going to a tennis match shouldn't be ruined because three idiots decided to break the law. Why should they ruin it for everyone?

"But what about Seles?," you ask. That incident was a tragedy, but invoking the worst case scenario in all similar circumstances is rarely productive. Presidents didn't stop riding in motorcades after 1963, they just got smarter about how to organize those motorcades. Post-9/11 airline regulations are a prime example of overreaction to an isolated incident.

The odds of Marin Cilic getting assaulted by a fan on centre court are about the same as they are of his plane going down on the way to Melbourne. Nothing is 100 percent safe. Knowing that, let's just hope any fan who chooses to defy the law and rush the court does so because he wants a handshake. And let's hope security gets to him before he does.

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Game Point is Busted Racquet's roundup of facts, figures and links about the tennis world.

On Tuesday, Zheng Jie became the first Chinese woman to make the semifinals at the Australian Open. Twenty-four hours later, countrywoman Li Na became the second. Though the eyes of the tennis world are looking ahead to a potential Serena Williams-Justine Henin final in Melbourne, we'll today celebrate the historic achievements of China's two emerging tennis stars.

Love -- Though the Aussie Open schedule lists them as Jie Zheng and Na Li, their names are Zheng Jie and Li Na, respectively. The Chinese naming system puts the family name first (which is why Yao Ming has "YAO" written on the back of his jersey instead of "MING").

15 -- China's state-sponsored sports program used to keep Zheng Jie and Li Na from having much, if any, control over their careers. The players couldn't play many international tournaments and were assigned coaches, doctors, nutrionists and psychologists. But a post-Olympics reform gave the players more freedom and the results have been striking. New coaches, schedules and regimens have played an integral role in the emergence of the two women. Also key: Instead of forking over 60 percent of earnings to the Chinese government, the women now have to give just 12 percent.

30 -- In China the pair are nicknamed "The Golden Flowers."

40 -- Despite being linked by the court, the pair couldn't be more different off of it. Li Na is the rebel with the tattooed chest and fiery attitude who often clashes with the oppressive Chinese government. Conversely, Zheng Jie has been called "the darling of the Chinese media" and is fiercely loyal to the Communist party.

Game -- Regardless of what happens Thursday in Melbourne, Li Na will become the first Chiense woman to enter the top 10. 

Match of the Day: (1) Roger Federer d. (6) Nikolay Davydenko, 2-6, 6-3, 6-0, 7-5

The greatest streak in men's tennis history is still alive. After dropping the first set of his Australian Open quarterfinal in listless fashion to Nikolay Davydenko, Roger Federer stormed back to win the next three and advanced to his 23rd straight Grand Slam semi.

Davydenko had lost to Federer 12 straight times before winning their two most recent matches. After an easy first set win it appeared as if he might make it three in a row. Fed looked a bit off, confused by the Russian's serve and movement. But when Davydenko failed on four chances to go up two breaks in the second set, Federer capitalized. To say that he played flawlessly would be an understatement. Against one of the hottest players in the world, Federer reeled off 13 straight games with a shotmaking clinic that could be without parallel in his career.

The one knock on Federer (and it's not even a real one) is that his game is too boring. It's cool and calculated, efficient and robotic. Greatness doesn't always have to be exciting. This stretch of tennis was though. It was exhilarating.

In the fifth set Davydenko battled back from match point to square things at 5-5, but Federer quickly broke and served out the match. He will play Jo-Wilifried Tsonga in the semifinals Friday in Melbourne.

(1) Serena Williams d. (7) Victoria Azarenka, 4-6, 7-6, 6-2

Victoria Azarenka won the first set and was up 4-0 in the second set. She then lost three straight games. Serving at 30-40 and 4-3, her first Grand Slam semifinal berth still within grasp, Azarenka hit her first serve into the net. When she threw up the toss for her second serve it went so high and so to the left that it fell near her opposite hip. On her second attempt she hit the ball into the middle of the net. Double fault. 4-4. That about sums up the rest of her evening.

To Azarenka's credit though (and to the surprise of those who expected a typical collapse following that point), she stayed in it for a while longer. Azarenka and Williams battled in a memorable second set tiebreak, exchanging cannon forehands in long, exhausting rallies. But the match had really been over long before that, from the moment Serena got that first break at 1-4 in the second.

It wasn't that Azarenka played poorly, it's that she played like someone who never really thought she could win the match. There were aggressive shots and sharp winners but, come one, everyone in that building knew what was happening. Serena broke Azarenka at love in the third game of the final set and never looked back. In the final set Serena hit 18 winners against just three unforced errors and won 16 of 20 points on her serve. At one point it looked like Azarenka was about to hyperventilate.  

(10) Jo-Wilfried Tsonga d. (3) Novak Djokovic, 7-6 (8), 6-7 (5), 1-6, 6-3, 6-1

Before this week Jo Tsonga had never played a five set match. Now he's two-for-two. The Frenchman outlasted an ailing Novak Djokovic in the late match at Rod Laver Arena Wednesday night. Djokovic, who won in Melbourne in 2008, was battling stomach issues for the latter half of the match. He threw up once during a changeover and ran off the court during the fourth set (to the initial protestations of the chair umpire).

Match of the Day: (14) Marin Cilic d. (6) Andy Roddick, 7-6 (4), 6-3, 3-6, 2-6, 6-3 -- Let's put to rest all the talk that big men don't have the endurance for five setters. Even though Andy Roddick was ailing with a shoulder injury, he had stolen momentum away in this match, storming back to force a fifth set after dropping the first two at Rod Laver Arena. When the American had three break points on Cilic's serve to start the final set it looked as if Roddick's run in Melbourne would continue and Cilic's breakout Slam would have to come in Paris or London. Because, surely, Roddick would be fresher than the 6-foot-6 Cilic, shoulder injury or not. But much like Juan Martin Del Potro in the 2009 U.S. Open final (and himself in two previous matches at this tournament), the Croatian was able to outlast a smaller rival in a marathon match.

Roddick played an almost-brilliant match in defeat, breaking Cilic's serve six times and playing a powerful, accurate baseline game that moved the tall Croat around the court. Not to take anything away from Cilic, but a healthy Roddick would have won that match. An injured Roddick should have won it too.  

Disappointment of the Day: (5) Andy Murray d. (2) Rafael Nadal, 6-3, 7-6 (2), 3-0 Ret. -- Though the quality of tennis was extremely high -- big hitting, offensive play -- through the first two sets (which included a 10 minute delay for Australia Day fireworks), this match ended with a disappointing whimper. Andy Murray became the first Briton to make the semis at the Aussie Open since 1977 but his win was overshadowed by a flare-up of Rafa's knee injury, which derailed him following his win in Melbourne last year.

According to Rafa, the injury didn't occur until the beginning of the third set, so Murray's win shouldn't be tainted. He outplayed a healthy Nadal in a thrilling first two sets before the injury. But then Nadal felt a tweak at 0-1 in the third, took a medical timeout, got broken and then retired after the next game. It's the first time he's done so in a Grand Slam.

Afterward Nadal told reporters that he didn't want to push it to the limit and that this injury was different than last year's because it came upon suddenly. He added that he thinks he'll be OK. I wish I was as confident.

Murray, meanwhile, has yet to drop a set in the tournament.

Other matches: Justine Henin d. (19) Nadia Petrova, 7-6 (3), 7-5 -- Barring a major upset at the hands of Jie Zheng on Thursday, it looks like Henin is going to match Kim Clijsters' feat of making a final in the first Slam of a comeback. If she plays Serena Williams (we're doing a lot of assuming but these are pretty safe ones to make) she'd be an underdog, but, then again, so was Clijsters when she played Serena in the U.S. Open semifinals.

Jie Zheng d. Maria Kirilenko, 6-1, 6-3 -- I'm not going to say it sounded like the ESPN announcers were rooting for Maria Kirilenko in this match because that statement makes it seem like I'm unsure. They were totally rooting for Maria Kirilenko. I think I heard Cliff Drysdale's tears hit the microphone when the comely Russian was shaking hands with Jie Zheng. With their girl struggling in the match, the announcers made a big deal about how much time she had been on the court so far during the tournament -- 13 hours, 59 minutes between singles, doubles and mixed doubles. What they failed to mention is that Zheng had actually been on the court longer during singles matches. (Kirilenko only played nine games against Dinara Safina, don't forget.)