Victoria Azarenka of Belarus absolutely routed Maria Sharapova of Russia Saturday night to not only claim the 2012 Australian Open title, but also to take over the World No. 1 ranking.
The match was over in just 1 hour 22 minutes as Azarenka handily took down three-time Grand Slam winner Sharapova 6-3, 6-0, winning 12 of the last 13 games after dropping her first service game and falling behind 2-0.
It was Azarenka’s first Grand Slam final appearance, winning 11 straight matches to get there. Her previous best performance at a major was a semifinal loss to Petra Kvitova at Wimbledon last year.
Sharapova had the experience advantage, playing in her sixth major final and having won three, dating back to her 2004 Wimbledon title.
But that didn’t stop 22-year-old Azarenka. Sharapova could not overcome Azarenka’s pace, variety or unrelenting intensity. Azarenka committed only 12 unforced errors compared to Sharapova’s 30.
Azarenka became the first woman from Belarus to win a singles major. She is also the seventh different woman to win a Grand Slam since Francesca Schiavone of Italy won the 2010 French Open, and the fifth different winner in the last five majors.
Azarenka also became only the third woman to earn the No. 1 spot after winning her first major title. She moved from No. 3 to No 1 in the rankings, helped along by Caroline Wozniacki’s loss in the quarterfinals.
After Sharapova netted a backhand on match point, Azarenka dropped to her knees at the baseline with her hands over her face. She started celebrating, then suddenly did a double-take to ask her coach, “What happened?” That is not surprising. She had just produced one of the most lopsided Australian Open final victories in history.
After the match, Azarenka said, “It’s a dream come true. I have been dreaming and working so hard to win the Grand Slam, and being No. 1 is pretty good bonus. Just the perfect ending and the perfect position to be in.”
A courteous Sharapova stated after the match, “Congratulations to Victoria. You have earned this title. You have worked so hard for it over the years. It is a real honor to have your name on the trophy. Congratulations, and cherish it for as long as you can.”
