MELBOURNE, Australia (AP)—Maria Sharapova was once the young upstart, fearlessly upstaging Serena Williams in her first Grand Slam final. On Saturday at the Australian Open, she ran into the new noise in women’s tennis, Victoria Azarenka.
Azarenka claimed her first major title with a ruthless 6-3, 6-0 win over Sharapova. With the victory, the 22-year-old also took the No. 1 ranking, becoming the 21st woman and the first from Belarus to rise to the top.