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"Screech for the Stars!" screamed the headline in Saturday's Herald Sun and Victoria Azarenka did just that, reaching the pinnacle of a Grand Slam title in her first final by outhitting, outplaying and generally demolishing the former world No. 1 Maria Sharapova 6-3, 6-0 to win the Australian Open.

By doing so Azarenka becomes No. 1 and there should be no one who says she does not deserve it.

Finally, the WTA rankings will look logical. The No. 1 will actually have won a Slam, which has not been the case for the previous two years. But another quirky statistic has emerged. For the first time ever, the four title holders of the four Slams are players who have just four titles between them. Li Na, Petra Kvitova, Sam Stosur and now Azarenka are all first-time winners.

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Related Topics: tennis, Australian Open