Tracy Austin

MELBOURNE, Australia - The win by Serena Williams over Maria Sharapova in the Australian Open women's singles final was one of the most surprising outcomes in a major I have ever seen, and it has set the American up for a return to the very top of the sport.

Defying the odds
It is hard to conceive just how far Williams has come in the last two weeks, especially after playing just 19 matches in the last 12 and a half months.

Let’s not forget this was her first title since her 2005 Australian Open win, and she’s only played 14 matches since then, in large part due to a lingering knee injury.

To take out Sharapova, who is about to be crowned World No. 1, in just an hour and three minutes and to lose only three games is extraordinary. It was simply an awesome display of tennis, and I stand amazed at what Williams has done.

I think it is easy to overlook the fact that Williams is coming out of a rough time personally.

She dedicated her victory in Melbourne to her half-sister Yetunde, who was killed in 2001, and though she has been reluctant to talk about the impact her half-sister’s murder has had on her, the two were very close, and it must have affected her a great deal.

She has had lot to contend with, which is why it was such an emotional win. 

Being aggressive and finding a zone
Coming into the Australian Open Williams admitted that she was playing ragged tennis, but she cleaned up her game with every passing match.

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She knew she had no option but to be aggressive and that is exactly what she was in the final.

Her serve was her biggest weapon all the way through the tournament, and it was dazzling against Sharapova.

There are lots of players who can keep up a high percentage of first serves during a match, but very few players can do that when they are going for really big bombs the way Williams was against Sharapova.

The 19-year-old Russian could have served better, and she put in a lot of double faults, but on Williams' serve there wasn’t a lot she could do.

Williams is a psychological warrior. Most people would be filled with doubts going into a match like that but somehow she has the ability to erase all the negativity.

She is a believer and she has 100 percent faith in herself, otherwise there is no way she could have done what she did in Australia.

She was really in the zone against Sharapova, and when you are in zone you are moving so cleanly and you are seeing the ball so clearly that you feel like nothing can stop you.

I kept thinking that she would come out of that zone, and Sharapova is such a fighter that if she had been shown a way out of trouble she would have flung that door right open, but Williams never let up.

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