Serena and Li defend titles

(Rank/Seed)

1/1 Williams underlined her favourite status for the Australian Open as she defended her Brisbane title with a hard fought 64 75 victory over (2/2) Azarenka as I predicted. It was her 58th career title, her 22nd successive match win and her 14th in 17 meetings with Azarenka, whose 24 match win streak in Australia was broken (her first loss since the Australian Open 2011!)

1st Set
Both players were even in holding through the first six games, with Williams looking to be particularly aggressive on return as she took the ball early. Two double faults in the seventh game (she would hit 6 during the entire match) proved costly as Azarenka relinquished the only break of the first set. Williams was always dominant, hitting 14 winners (Azarenka hit merely 3) to 12 unforced errors.

2nd Set
Though Williams looked indomitable as she established a 2-0 lead due to some potent serving (3 aces in 4 points), Azarenka quickly countered with some fine play to take four successive games to lead 4-2. However, Williams broke back immediately with a screaming backhand winner as Azarenka looked on. The last few games were hotly contested, featuring many intense (and loud) baseline rallies as Azarenka tried to negate Williams's greater power. However, she couldn't prevent the inevitable as Williams broke again and served out the match emphatically, hitting her 10th and 11th aces to open the game.

Elsewhere, (3/1) Li claimed her 8th career title in defending Shenzhen over compatriot Peng, also by a 64 75 score line. Li had beaten Peng in 3 of their previous 4 meetings but was severely tested as she initially led 64 4-1 before Peng won 4 successive games to lead 5-4. However, Li then won three long games in a row to defend a title for the first time in her career and maintain her perfect record against Peng on Chinese soil, 3-0.

5/- Radwanska finished her Hopman Cup campaign with a hard fought 63 67(7) 62 victory over France's, Cornet to maintain her perfect 4-0 record in singles through the competition. Sadly for her, France defeated Poland 2-1 as Panfil lost to Tsonga and as a team in the mixed doubles, the Poles were crushed.