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 Though sickly, wheezing and battling coughing fits, Williams's
serve was in the rudest of health and her athleticism astonishing as
she closed out a nerve-shredding clash 6-3 7-6(5) under the lights
of Rod Laver Arena.
In sealing her sixth title at Melbourne Park, Williams surpassed
Martina Navratilova, the woman who passed her the trophy, and Chris
Evert in grand slam title wins, while drawing level with fellow
American Helen Wills Moody, third in the all-time list.
At 33, the oldest Australian Open winner in the professional era,
Williams left few in doubt that the pursuit of Steffi Graf's 22
titles and Margaret Court's 24 will continue.
"Gosh, where do I start? I have to thank God for this," Williams
gushed at the trophy ceremony.
"I was down and out, and he helped me today, and I just said prayers
and it just -- not to win but to be strong and to be healthy and in
the end I was able to come through.
"I also have to congratulate Maria, who played a wonderful,
wonderful match tonight. She really, really pushed me tonight, and
she played so well. Gave us a great final for not only for you guys
but for women's tennis."
 Fittingly, she sealed the title with an ace, her 18th, on the third
match point, and after shaking hands with her opponent, bounded
around the court like a woman possessed, squealing in delight.
Sharapova sat quietly in her chair, nursing the pain of a 16th
straight defeat by Williams and a third loss in grand slam finals to
the American champion.
"I've got to congratulate Serena on creating history and on playing
some of her best tennis. It's really an honor playing against her,"
Sharapova, who lost the 2007 final to Williams and the title-decider
at the 2013 French Open, said.
"I haven't beaten her in a really long time, but I love every time
that I step on the court to play against her because she's been the
best and, as a tennis player, you wanna play against the best."
Steamrolled in the opening set, five-times grand slam champion
Sharapova was magnificent as she dragged herself off the canvas and
staved off defeat twice on match points with brilliant down-the-line
winners.
The "un-rivalry" with Williams continues, however, her last win over
the American coming when she was a 17-year-old sensation still
finding her feet on tour.
BORROWED TIME
She admitted she had been on borrowed time after suffering a huge
scare to countrywoman Alexandra Panova in the second round, and
appeared tense before her center court entrance.
Shuffling from side to side on the spot, Williams stood behind her,
stock-still and brooding.
There was little warmth as the pair posed for the pre-game pictures
on court and Williams was all over Sharapova's serve from the first
point, thumping a backhand return down the line that the Russian
could only net.
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Second serves were despatched with contempt.
A break point was almost inevitable and Sharapova, already under
pressure, double-faulted to concede serve.
At 30-30 with Williams leading 3-2, rain fell, forcing a break and
the American bashed a ball away in disgust before marching to the
exit and pacing a tunnel under Rod Laver Arena.
She returned, coughing into a towel but doubled back immediately,
ducking off court again to deal with a coughing fit as a non-plussed
Sharapova limbered up.
Returning again, she smashed an ace and a forehand winner down the
line to close out the game and though losing focus to drop serve in
the next, Williams responded by breaking Sharapova to love to take
out the set, roaring a blood-curdling "come on!"
Having tallied a paltry three winners to her opponent's 11 for the
set, the signs were bad for Sharapova, but she rose to pries out a
break point at 3-3.
An unreturnable serve down the middle slammed the door on the chance
and Williams, demoralizingly, rocketed her 13th ace and third of the
game to hold firm.
Bellowing with emotion, Williams rolled on and pounced as Sharapova
served to stay in the match at 5-4, creating a match point that the
nerveless Russian slapped away with a searing forehand down the
line.
She repeated the trick at 6-4 in the tiebreak, but as ever,
Williams's serve had the final say, the booming ace announcing the
champion like the first volley of a 21-gun salute.
More grand slam champions will be decided later on Saturday when
Italian pair Simone Bolelli and Fabio Fognini take on French duo
Pierre-Hugues Herbert and Nicolas Mahut.
On Sunday, top seed Novak Djokovic will bid for an eighth grand slam
title when he faces sixth seed Andy Murray in the men's singles
final.
(Editing by Ed Osmond)
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