Jan. 26, 2008 - Maria Sharapova, the top-earning women’s athlete, didn’t drop a set at the tournament and overpowered Ana Ivanovic to win the women’s singles title at the Australian Open in Melbourne, the first Grand Slam tournament of the 2008 season.
The 20-year-old Sharapova defeated the No. 4 seed Ivanovic in a match that lasted just 91 minutes on a hot day with temperatures reaching 95 degrees F. The victory gave Sharapova her first Australian Open championship, and is the third Grand Slam title of her career. She won at Wimbledon in 2004 and the U.S. Open in 2006.
The Russian star was aggressive from the start and, apart from one bad service game in the first set that allowed Ivanovic back to 4-4, controlled the important points. Despite the loss, Ivanovic is projected to rise to No. 2 in the rankings.
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[…] Australian Open that Sharapova won in such convincing fashion back in January was of no help to her as she tried and failed to control […]