MELBOURNE: Germany’s Angelique Kerber stunned six-time Australian Open winner Serena Williams 6-4, 3-6, 6-4 to win her maiden Grand Slam at Melbourne Park here on Saturday. Starting the match as a rank outsider, the seventh seed was in crushing form throughout her first Grand Slam final, extending the rallies, forcing Williams to the net and showing no sign of nerves as she denied the World No.1 a record-equalling 22nd Grand Slam win, reports Xinhua. The German, who was matchpoint down against Misaki Doi in her first round match two weeks ago, is the first woman to win a Grand Slam after having faced a first round matchpoint. She is also the first German woman to win a Slam since the turn of the century. But it wasn’t smooth sailing early for the Major final debutant. Both women displayed nerves early in the encounter, but it was plainly evident in Kerber’s first service game of the match; she double faulted once and missed a number of relatively slow first serves. Despite the shaky start, Williams too was on edge and the German managed to hold. What followed was polar opposite of the first five minutes. Williams, said that she was a little nervous, unable to forge momentum early in the first set, going down the first break of serve to Kerber who worked angles brilliantly and displayed vintage defensive tennis – something that couldn’t have been further away from what she dished up in the opening game. Serena was uncharacteristically off with her shot selection, hitting 23 unforced errors throughout the first set. In comparison, Williams hit 20 unforced errors for the entire match against both Agnieszka Radwanska and Maria Sharapova earlier in the tournament. The Australian Open will conclude in Melbourne on Sunday evening with defending champion Novak Djokovic playing Brit Andy Murray in the men’s final. (IANS)
