Azarenka defeats Sharapova to claim Australian Open title

Victoria Azarenka of Belarus beat the Russian Maria Sharapova in the final of women’s Australian Open to earn the first Grand Slam title of her career.

The Belarusian overcame Sharapova in two straight sets (6:3, 6:0) with an impressive display that gave her Russian counterpart very few opportunities for a comeback.

The 22-year-old from Minsk thanked her team and supporters after the game, stating that winning in Melbourne was a «dream come true».

Meanwhile, Sharapova admitted that on this day her opponent was superior in every aspect of the game.

«The first two games I performed well, but that was it,» said the three-time major champion.

«After that [Azarenka] took the initiative, started playing deeper and more aggressively. I, on the other hand, was like the proverbial hare, darting from side to side and chasing after her. She was constantly a step ahead.»

She added that despite this defeat she considers getting to the final a worthy achievement and a good start to the year, so she is «looking ahead with optimism».

The newly crowned champion will also start next week as the top seed in women’s rankings. Petra Kvitova will follow her in second and her opponent from the final, Sharapova, in third. The current Number 1, Caroline Wozniacki of Denmark, will move down to fourth.