Top-ranked Serena Williams won her 19th Grand Slam singles title, defeating No. 2 Maria Sharapova, 6-3, 7-6 (5), on Saturday in the final of the Australian Open.
Williams, 33, beat Sharapova for the 16th consecutive time, a streak that stretches to 2005. Sharapova last defeated Williams in November 2004, when Sharapova was 17. Since that match, Williams and Sharapova have remained two of the biggest stars in tennis, but their on-court rivalry has fizzled as Sharapova won only three sets in their previous 15 matches.
