Russia's Maria Sharapova used a big serve and powerful forehand to win the US Open women's singles title on Saturday. She defeated second seed Justine Henin-Hardenne 6-4, 6-4 in the final.
Sharapova, the 2004 Wimbledon champion, ended the 90-minute match when the Belgian dumped a forehand into the net. The tall 19-year-old first bent down to the court with her hands covering her face before springing up and jumping for joy.
The third seed, playing in her first Grand Slam final since her Wimbledon triumph, scored the decisive break in the seventh game of the second set after two groundstroke errors by Henin-Hardenne, who had won four of five previous matches against the Russian.
Sharapova, who was playing her first US Open final, was dominant from the service line.
She did not face a single break point after her opening serve of the match in beating 24-year-old Henin-Hardenne, who reached all four 2006 Grand Slam finals but registered victory in only the French Open.
© 2024 Rediff.com -