Serena Williams goes back-to-back for 5th Australian Open title

Sunday, 31 January 2010 00:00

World No 1 Serena Williams successfully defended her 2009 crown, defeating Belgium’s Justine Henin 6-4, 3-6, 6-2 at Rod Laver Arena in Melbourne on Saturday.

It’s the American’s fifth Australian Open singles title (2003, 2005, 2007, 2009), extending her impressive run in Grand Slam finals to twelve victories in fifteen appearances.

On a long opening game, Henin failed to break Williams’ serve after creating a couples of opportunities, and it was the American who drew first blood for a 3-1 lead, after she rallied from 15/40 on her second service game.

Henin created plenty of further break chances later in the set, finally converting one to pull back at 4-4. Williams, however, held easily for the first time and managed to break in the 10th game to close out the set in 51 minutes.

From 1-1 in the second set, three consecutive breaks of serve gave Williams a 3-2 advantage but Henin found her form and won the next four games, breaking Williams twice more to take the set 6-3 and forcing a decisive third.

Henin continued her hot streak into the third set, creating two break points on Williams’serve. Serena fired a 197km/h ace to send the game to deuce and ultimately hold. From that point, founding her rhythm again, she never looked back, breaking the Belgian twice and winning the set 6-2 for the title, in a compelling two hours and seven minutes contest.

Williams’ big serve got her out of trouble on many occasions, especially in the first set, and was the decisive factor in the match between the two players. The American served landed 64 percent first serves including 12 aces, while Henin’s low percentage (50) and six double faults caused her downfall.

The Belgian had five opportunities to break the American in the final set, but, like in the first, she failed to convert on the big points. In total, Henin took only 5 of 16 break chances, while Williams capitalized on 6 of 11 opportunities.

The tennis displayed wasn’t of the highest quality, neither woman finding any kind of rhythm. Williams not a 100 percent physically, and Henin inconsistent playing in just her 11th match since coming out of retirement.

Once again Serena Williams showed her fighting spirit, not to be denied of her back-to-back victory at the Australian Open.

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Serena Williams goes back-to-back for 5th Australian Open title

Serena Williams goes back-to-back for 5th Australian Open title

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