Kerber stuns Williams to clinch Australian Open title
Angelique Kerber, beat World No.1 Serena Williams 6-4, 3-6, 6-4 in 2 hours and 8 minutes to clinch the Women's Singles Australian Open title. This was Angelique Kerber's first Grand Slam win, and she became the first German to win the title since Steffi Graf in 1994. Williams took defeat in good humour, saying, "You truly deserve it...It was remarkably fun".
Australian Open is the the first of the four Grand Slam tennis events of the year. First held in 1905, the tournament was played on grass until 1987, when it switched to hard court. Roy Emerson holds the most men's single Australian Open titles, with 6 earned in the 1960's, while Margaret Court managed a record 7 Australian Open titles during the same period.
The 2016 Australian Open is the 104th edition of the tournament, held at Melbourne Park, scheduled from 18-31 Jan 2016. Played on hard courts, it takes place over a series of 16 courts, including the three main show-courts, the Rod Laver Arena, Hisense Arena and Margaret Court Arena. Novak Djokovic and Serena Williams are the respective defending champions in the men's and women's singles.
The Australian Open prize money for winners (singles tournament) of 2016 was increased from $3,100,000 to a tournament record $3,400,000. The total prize money is a whopping $44 million, with $30 million going towards the men's and women's singles.
Former world number one Caroline Wozniacki was beaten in the first round of Australian Open 1-6, 7-6 (7/3), 6-4 by Kazakhstan's Yulia Putintseva. Seven-time Grand Slam champion Venus Williams was outclassed by Britain's Johanna Konta, who beat Williams 6-4 6-2. World No.2 Simona Halep was defeated by No.133 ranked Zhang Shuai from China. Zhang beat Halep in a convincing 6-4, 6-3 victory.
The season's first grand slam turned out disastrous for Rafael Nadal when he got beaten in the first round of Australian Open. Fellow compatriot Fernando Verdasco defeated Nadal in a five set thriller 7-6(6) 4-6 3-6 7-6(4) 6-2. This was the first time Nadal had failed to reach the 2R of the Australian Open and only the second time at a grand slam.
Nadal struggled through the 2015 tennis season and failed to reach a semi-final of any of the Grand Slams. While he was able to reach quarter finals of Australian and French Open, he was knocked out in the second round of Wimbledon and third round of US Open.
In the first women's singles semis, top-seed Serena Williams demolished the fourth-seed Agnieszka Radwanska in straight sets 6-0, 6-4 to reach her seventh Australian Open final. So far, Serena has won every final she has reached at Melbourne Park winning the Daphne Akhurst Memorial Cup. In the final, she is set to face Germany's Angelique Kerber who beat Britain's unseeded Johanna Konta 7-5, 6-2.
World No.1 Novak Djokovic advanced to his sixth Australian Open final with a 6-1, 6-2, 3-6, 6-3 victory over Roger Federer. Novak now holds a 23-22 lead over Federer and, for the first time, a career lead over all his rivals: Federer, Murray, Nadal and Wawrinka. "I played an unbelievable first two sets but that is what is necessary against Roger", said the Serb.
Top seeds Sania Mirza and Martina Hingis captured their third consecutive Grand Slam women's doubles title defeating Andrea Hlavackova and Lucie Hradecka 7-6 (7-1), 6-3 in the Australian Open final. It was a third career Grand Slam women's doubles title for Sania and a 12th doubles title for Martina. The win marks the 12th title together and 36th consecutive win for the Indo-Swiss pair.
Angelique Kerber, beat World No.1 Serena Williams 6-4, 3-6, 6-4 in 2 hours and 8 minutes to clinch the Women's Singles Australian Open title. This was Angelique Kerber's first Grand Slam win, and she became the first German to win the title since Steffi Graf in 1994. Williams took defeat in good humour, saying, "You truly deserve it...It was remarkably fun".
