World No.1 and top seed Serena Williams won her twelfth Grand Slam and her fifth Australian Open one by ending Justine Henin’s hopes of a comeback title with a 6-4 3-6 6-2 victory in the final.
Serena used to win the Australian Open only on odd-numbered years, but today she ended the tradition and also became the first woman in the Open Era to win it five times.
In addition, Williams leveled Billie Jean King’s record in the number of major titles. The two are now ranked sixths in the list; Margaret Court, Steffi Graf, Helen Wills Moody, Martina Navratilova and Chris Evert are ranked better.
Henin was playing only her second tournament after her 18-month retirement and reached the final in both of them. Still, she didn’t manage to match the achievement of fellow Belgian Kim Clijsters who won the 2009 US Open, her first Grand Slam appearance after returning to competition.
“It has been a very emotional two weeks for me. I thought it would never happen again,” said the 27-year-old Henin. Later, the seven-time Grand Slam champion assured the audience that she is here to stay: “I’ll see you next year.”
The former world No.1 Henin,who entered the Australian Open as an unranked wildcard, will remain without a world ranking for one more tournament, but her performance so far convinced us all that the heights of women’s tennis are reserved for her.
As for Serena Williams, what can we say, there is no greater champion in women’s tennis right now. Not only did she win in singles at the 2010 Australian Open, but she won the doubles competition a day earlier (for the fourth time in Melbourne!), and not to mention that she won both singles and doubles last year as well. Serena’s taping on right thigh and left knee couldn’t stop her hunger to win and I am certain the American will add more Grand Slam trophies to her already impressive collection.
a new laptop equals a new name. yay for Serena!!!!
Ok, I preferred Jacob, but I can live with Jaa. Hey, you didn’t comment on Serena’s singles win and you are such a fan.
I am very disappointed ! Justine should have won that championship. Unfortunately, her first serve, and not being able to hold serve, was her achilles heal. Also, she was not the warrior that Serena was. You play the last point like the first. When you see blood, you finish the job.
For all the hype about her new serve, you would have thought she was “ready for Bear”. If she doesn’t improve that serve and develope that warrior spirit, Justine’s comeback will be for naught…
your the boss, jacob it is. anyway, what do you mean i didnt comment? what am i doing now and before!?!?!?
Robert, actually, I think Serena should have won, she’s clearly the best player women’s tennis can offer right now, and Justine, she’s just come back, there will be time.
Jacob, I’m not the boss, you can call yourself however you like, I just told you what I prefer. Yes, you commented on the article, but you said simply “Yay for Serena” and I expected something more since you’re such a fan. Forget it… 🙂 It’s not important.
I wish Justine at least put up a fight in the final set but Serena’s serve was just too strong… I wish Justine all the best for the rest of season!
haha, okay, i’ll start again (firstly – yes you are the boss 😀 )
well, i think it was a good tournament for her all up, its a shame however the channel 7 coverage was quite bad. I saw Serena Play 3 times only, and trust me i was watching it quite a lot! She had fantastic form against stosur and against azarenka… wow, such a great comeback. These two play fantastically against each other! I hope serena dominates more often now, she could be looking at the end of her tennis carear so its time to get all the grandslams up so she can be a proper ledgend in many years to come. I cant wait till tell my grandkids that i saw Serena play.. Probably the best match in 2009 (Stosur vs Williams – medibank)
hows that?
Jacob, that’s absolutely perfect. 🙂 You know I’m not a huge fan of Serena, which doesn’t mean I don’t like her, but I would like to see her rule this year, and I think she will.
Alot of people don’t like serena i’ve noticed. A couple of people on here, and heaps of people at school and work etc. I dont really know why i like her. I think its her style and playing style. I love Venus’ backhand however 😀
who cares if people dont like Serena,at the end of day tennis is an individual game and the results get you paid.I think most people who watch tennis are not black people and Serena has denied a lot of girls titles and she is not apologetic plus she is very confident.A lot of people expect her to be sub-serviant and she is not,thats what riles a lot of people.
The media also had a part to play in denigrating her and her family under those conditions anyone can give the media and tennis fans the middle finger.
One of the reasons is that she doesn’t measure her words and her behavior, she does things without thinking of how it looks to other people.
its 2010, people who against black people, or even mention colour or face arnt worth my time. and thats not directed at you fyoto 😀
I also never engage in such conversations, I don’t see a point. It goes without saying that race doesn’t play a role.
those footfaults in New York were highly suspicious,they wanted a feel good story and they got it by hook or by crook.the beauty of it is karma is a bitch Kim was beaten soundly in Australia and left with a tail between her legs after claiming that she and her fellow belgian will be the standard of the tour,she was believing the hype.After all is said and done Serena is the and will be the most acomplished of her generation bar none.
I’m so happy for Serena Winning the Singles
and Doubles titles. I wish she could have
won prior in Sydney. But there is always
next year. I was sorta worried during the
match that after the second set that Justine
would pick up her game and close out the
match and Serena would succumb but she didn’t
and I’m happy. I only wish that next year
Venus wins the title! for once in her story
career. Before she retires, that and the
French open!.
Race does play arole in the way Federer no.1 player and Serena no.1 player,she is not afforded the same standards.Federer is rude and disrespectful to his peers and gets away with it and Serena gets a lot if she doesnt say anything or when she says something.Federer used rude words to the umpire and got away with it,Djokovic smashes his rackets and the umpire says nothing and when Serena does it she gets a warning….double standards basesd on race and to a less extend on gender.
Serena pulled out of the Open GDF SUEZ due to an injury – Please !!! She pulled out because she does not want to jeaopardize her chances of winning the Barclays Dubai Tennis Championship. Also, don’t be surprised if she pulls out of the Mutua Madrilena Madrid Open (May 10, 2010). Roland Garros starts on May 24, 2010 !!! In my opinion, Serena will be fortunate to win another grand slam this year. If Azarenka, Zvonareva, Henin, Clijsters, Kirilenko, Li Na, Stosur, even Sharapova can sustain that warrior spirit, and be consistent with their first serve (at least 65%), I believe we will see a different French, Wimbledon & US Open champion. Serena should take a page out of Venus’ play book on graciousness and humility.
Serena shouldn’t have to measure her words to people who would twist the truth anyways. Some of you need to realize you aren’t that important. As it is someone from Serbia it doesn’t surprise me.
I was also sad Justine didn’t win. I think if everything went by the rules we might have seen other result. Those mysterious bad calls in the first set when she was getting a momentum going,a long bathroom break between second set she won and the last set (Serena’s classic) have, well, swinged it a fair bit, let’s put it that way. Anyway, I’m sure many top 20 players would happily swat that place with her. For me her performance means much more as she had a harder draw and had to grind it from the bottom without any ranking. Everything went quite fast for her but after a few tournaments she’ll be back for the good and the better.
Nikki Day who are you to say who’s important and who’s not? A self-proclaimed god or something? Maybe in your feudal mind you aren’t able to recognise all people have the same human value but that is your problem. Get help and most importantly, get lost!
Fyoto should also go vent at some “African American Pride” kind of thing forum. being a black person myself, I truly feel ashamed of people like you.
You’re not a black person @Marine, you’re lying. I remember you in ‘on the baseline tennis news’ and you were blaming people playing the race card by saying things like ‘you black people…’
what a liar you are, no shame
Sissy, I am black. I have no reason to lie about my race, I’not like ashamed of it. I would like to see that comment you refer to!
And why as a black person I can’t say other black people pull a race card??? I don’t like when people do it as it puts the black race down. But I understand some people don’t like when one criticises their own race. Well, I don’t have problem with self-ciriticism, so if you have, you’d better sort it out.