Steve Flink on Serena

Steve Flink: "Serena's Willpower Triumphs Again"

Interesting Fact: "She won her first major at the U.S. Open in 1999, so she has now recorded major tournament victories in three straight decades, a feat matched only by Navratilova among the women."

Peter Bodo - "Live By The Serve"

Check out Peter Bodo's blog "Live By The Serve"

Billie Jean King on Serena

“She could have been the greatest ever (record wise) and I still think that when she plays her best, that she is the best ever. She's smarter, and has the power and the speed. But what I really appreciate is how much she's grown up. She's so much better now at recognizing the other players now.”

Carlos Rodriguez on Justine / Serena

Carlos Rodriguez (Henin's coach) was proud of Henin after Saturday's loss to Serena Williams in the Australian Open

"I think we can see on the court today she's not ready to beat somebody like Serena,'' Rodriguez said. "Maybe in three or four or six months, I don't know, (she needs) more matches. Emotional situation like tonight, maybe she's going to be ready then.''

Rodriguez started guiding Henin's career in 1995 and has been instrumental during her comeback. He said Henin, who lost to Williams in three sets, would now take a break to work on improving her game. "(We're) disappointed because we always try to win,'' he said. "But I think the best player won today. That's the first thing to say, she's better than Justine. Now for me and Justine we try to find out how we going to do better in the next match or in the next month.

"We're going to stop now and work on the physical skills and more specific things in her game. "Maybe take a little bit more time to find a way to manage different situations also. Not only a question of technique, try to manage this emotions and the tactics to serve. I cannot say better for sure but (we need to improve) the serve and important points.''

Henin should return to the top 40 now and Rodriguez is hopeful she may sneak in for a seeding at the French Open. She has only played two tournaments so far, the other being Brisbane where she was also a finalist. "You never know, still two or three tournaments to go before they put ranking up there,'' Rodriguez said. "Even in claycourts I prefer she's seeded if we do the right job.

- Article courtesy of Jackie Epstein, Herald Sun, Melbourne

Congratulations Serena on winning Aussie Open

Justine on Serena....

“....I have a lot of respect for who she is, what she did,” Henin said. “She is a real champion. She proved it again in this tournament. Has been in trouble, and she had the reaction of the greatest champions. A real fighter. Never gives up. And I think she really helped the game to come at another level and she really helped women's tennis a lot. She's still there with an amazing attitude."

Serena ties Billie Jean King's 12 Grand Slam Titles

Serena speaks with Chris Fowler / ESPN (video)

SERENA - 2010 Australian Open Champion

12 Grand Slam Titles - 5 Australian Open Titles

12 Grand Slam Titles

(5) Australian Open
(1) French Open
(3) Wimbledon
(3) U.S. Open

Sisterly Love

Serena gets a hug from big sister Venus after defeating Justine Henin 6-4, 3-6, 6-2 for her record setting 5th Australian Open title. Serena also paired with Venus to win the Australian Open doubles title over #1 ranked Liezel Huber and Cara Black.

2010 Australian Open Champion

Serena defeats Justine for Australian Open Title

Serena extended her impressive run in Grand Slam finals, with the 6-4 3-6 6-2 win over Justine Henin at the Australian Open, marking her 12th victory in 15 Slam deciders Serena put an end to Justine Henin's hopes of a Grand Slam title on her return from retirement. Williams withstood a determined challenge from Henin before securing her fifth Australian Open title and 12th Grand Slam singles championship.

Williams won the last four games Saturday to clinch the championship in just over two hours, falling on her back in celebration after match point before shaking hands with Henin at the net.

It’s the fifth singles title for Serena at the Australian Open (the most by a woman in the open era, followed by Margaret Court, Evonne Goolagong, Steffi Graf and Monica Seles with 4 each). Williams adds number 5 to her tournament wins in 2003, 2005, 2007 and last year. This is also the third time that Williams has won both singles and doubles titles at Melbourne (2003, 2009, 2010). She hit 32 winners and 12 aces and broke serve 6 times. This win also marks the 1st time that Serena has defended her Australian Open title (and the first to do so since Jennifer Capriati in 2002).

Justine Henin - "It's been a very emotional two weeks for me,'' said Henin, who put her hand on her heart as she thanked the crowd for support. "I thought it would never happen to me again. I'd like to congratulate Serena. She's a real champion.''

Williams had her right thigh, wrist and left knee heavily taped as they had been for much of the tournament. Serena holds an 8-6 lead in career meetings over Henin, including their last meeting, a 6-2, 6-0 win in Miami in 2008. At the time, it equaled the worst loss for a reigning No. 1, and Henin quit tennis two months later. Williams' 12th singles major matched American great Billie Jean King's career total. King was in attendance and took part in a pre-match ceremony to honor the 40-year anniversary of Margaret Court's four Grand Slam tournament wins in 1970.

Australian Open: FINAL (Saturday)

FINAL

[1] Serena Williams (USA) vs. Justine Henin (BEL)
Serena leads Head-to-Head 7-6
3rd Match of the Day
Rod Laver Arena
Match airs LIVE on ESPN2 @ 3:30am

Williams Sisters win Australian Open Doubles Title

MELBOURNE, Australia — Venus and Serena Williams won their fourth Australian Open women's doubles title, beating Cara Black and Liezel Huber 6-4, 6-3. The Williams broke Huber's serve to open the second set Friday and won the match when they again broke Huber, ending it on Serena's winning reflex volley. The sisters high-fived each other at the side of the court after the match.

The Williams sisters won the Australian title for the first time in 2001 and added championships in 2003 and last year. Black, from Zimbabwe, and Huber, a South African-born American citizen, won the 2007 title.

"I have to congratulate Venus and Serena for a great tournament – you guys are too good," Black said. It was the 11th time the Williams sisters have combined for a Grand Slam doubles title. Serena has 11 singles majors, also, and is hoping for a 12th in the Australian Open final on Saturday against Justine Henin.

"I look forward to more titles," Serena Williams said. The Williams sisters broke to go up 4-3. Serena Williams faced two break points on her serve in the next game before she held. With Venus Williams serving for the set, the sisters took the opener when Black netted a forehand on a second set point.

Australian Open Doubles: FINAL (Friday)

FINAL

Venus / Serena (USA)[2] vs. Cara Black (ZIM) / Liezel Huber (USA)[1]
1st Match of the Day
Rod Laver Arena

Team Williams advances to Doubles Final

It will be a repeat of the 2009 US Open women’s doubles final at Australian Open 2010, as both of the top seeded teams of Cara Black/Liezel Huber and Serena Williams/Venus Williams posted semi-final wins on Thursday. The Williams sisters, the second seeds, overcame American Lisa Raymond and Australian Rennae Stubbs 6-3 7-6(6).

The Williams sisters survived a fast-finishing Raymond/Stubbs duo, who forced the No. 2 seeds to a second set tie-break. The American siblings won the first set as they settled in the gusty conditions quicker than the American/Australian pair. The city end of the court was particularly hard to serve at because of a steady wind, and Stubbs was the first to falter, giving away a break and eventually the first set 6-3.

At one point in the second set, Raymond appeared to have the ball on a string with a series of shots that single-handedly confused and dismantled the Williams’ game, finishing with a volley that split them in two. With Stubbs also playing well, the pair held set points late in the set. The No.6 seeds failed to convert though, and the Williams sisters won the second set in a tie break 8-6, earning them the right to defend their Melbourne Park 2009 doubles title.

For Serena, it is the second year in a row she has made it through to the singles and doubles final at the Australian Open, and she will use the doubles final to get focused for another tilt at the individual crown. “I think [doubles] helped me. You know, I get a lot of extra practice, so ... I think I spent a lot of time on the court. I like being out there,” Serena said.

- Article courtesy of Official Australian Open website

Serena advances to Australian Open Final

Serena Williams advanced to a fifth Australian Open final and ended any chance of an all-Chinese championship match in the season's first major.

Defending champion Williams wasted four match points before finishing off a 7-6 (4), 7-6 (1) semifinal win with an ace against Li Na on Thursday, a day after her sister Venus lost to the Chinese player in the quarterfinals. Serena Williams has a 100 percent conversion rate so far in finals at Melbourne Park, winning the title every time she's played for the championship since beating Venus here in 2003. The winning sequence has been every odd-numbered year so far.

"I had so many match points and I blew it and I knew I couldn't mess up my serve because she never gives up," Williams said. "She's a real, real amazing fighter." Williams broke Li's service in the opening game and maintained the break until the 10th game. Li fended off a set point in the ninth game before holding and then broke Williams' serve in the 10th game to even the match at 5-5.

In the tiebreak, Williams picked up four of her last five points on unforced errors by Li and then clinched the 58-minute set with a second-service ace. The second set went with serve, with Li fending off three match points in the 10th game and another in the 12th to force a second tiebreak. Again, Williams dominated the tiebreak to race to a 6-1 lead, closing with her 12th ace of the match. Serena will face Justine Henin in the final.

Australian Open Doubles: Semifinal (Thursday)

Semifinal

Venus / Serena (USA)[2] vs. Lisa Raymond / Rennae Stubbs [6]
4th Match of the Day
Margaret Court Arena