Serena Williams back at world number one after Australian Open win.

Australian Open winner Serena Williams replaced Angelique Kerber as world number one in the latest WTA rankings released on Monday.

 

The American moved up one place courtesy of her victory in Melbourne where she got the better of sister Venus 6-4, 6-4 in the final on Saturday for a record 23rd Grand Slam title.

 

Kerber’s defence of her Australian Open crown ended with a last 16 loss to Coco Vandeweghe with the German now down to second and her American nemesis up 15 rungs to 20th.

Melbourne quarter-finalist Karolina Pliskova climbs two spots to third.

 

WTA rankings on Monday, January 30

 

1. Serena Williams (USA) 7.780 pts (+1)

2. Angelique Kerber (GER) 7.115 (-1)

3. Karolina Pliskova (CZE) 5.270 (+2)

4. Simona Halep (ROM) 5.073

5. Dominika Cibulkova (SVK) 4.985 (+1)

6. Agnieszka Radwanska (POL) 4.915 (-3)

7. Garbine Muguruza (ESP) 4.720

8. Svetlana Kuznetsova (RUS) 3.915 (+2)

10. Johanna Konta (GBR) 3.705 (-1)

11. Venus Williams (USA) 3.530 (+6)

12. Petra Kvitova (CZE) 3.415 (-1)

13. Elina Svitolina (UKR) 2.955

14. Carla Suarez (ESP) 2.625 (-2)

15. Timea Bacsinszky (SUI) 2.347

16. Elena Vesnina (RUS) 2.357 (+2)

17. Barbora Zahlavova Strycova (CZE) 2.295 (-1)

18. Caroline Wozniacki (DEN) 2.295 (+2)

19. Victoria Azarenka (BLR) 2.161 (-5)

20. Coco Vandeweghe (USA) 2.136 (+15)

Rafael Nadal Sets Australian Open final Clash With Roger Federer

Rafael Nadal makes it into his 21st Grand Slam title as he rolls back and beat Grigor Dimitrov 6-3 5-7 7-6 6-7. Nadal will face Roger Federer, who beat Stan Wawrinka 7-6 6-3 1-6 4-6 6-3 on Thursday, in a much-anticipated Grand Slam final on Sunday. Nadal is contesting for his 14th Grand Slam title. Nadal made it into the semis by thrashing Milos Raonic 6-4, 7-6 (9/7), 6-4 in two hours 44 minutes and for Dimitrov. Dimitrov, who beat David Goffin 6-3 6-2 6-4 to make it into his second Grand Slam semi-final, became the first Bulgarian player in men or women to make it into a final of a Grand Slam. Nadal is bidding to win his second Australian Open title and become the first man in the Open Era and only the third man in history, to win each of the four Grand Slam titles twice. With his victory the Spaniard is projected to rise to six in next week’s ATP rankings.

 

Serena Williams To Face Maria Sharapova In Australian Open final

Serena Williams will face Maria Sharapova in the Australian Open final after the pair won their semi-finals in straight sets in Melbourne.

World number two Sharapova won an all-Russian contest against Ekaterina Makarova 6-3 6-2.

Williams, the top seed, converted her ninth match point to beat fellow American Madison Keys 7-6 (7-5) 6-2.

Britain’s Andy Murray takes on Czech Tomas Berdych in the first men’s semi-final at 08:30 GMT.

Williams, 33, capped a fine performance with a dramatic ending as she saw seven match points slip by at 5-1, before converting her ninth with an ace and a scream in the following game.

Keys, 19, matched Williams for power but not always control as the 18-time Grand Slam champion edged a tight match over one hour and 24 minutes.

The world number one, a five-time champion in Australia, recovered from 3-0 down to force a tie-break and clinched it with a big serve.

Maria Sharapova

A fired-up Williams bounced up and down in delight at the baseline, and powered on with a break at the start of the second as she began to dominate the Keys second serve.

Williams flipped a brilliant forehand winner around the net post on her way to breaking again at 4-1 and eventually closed out after that gripping seventh game.

Sharapova, the 2008 champion, had earlier needed one hour and 27 minutes to beat 10th seed Makarova for the sixth time in six meetings.

The 27-year-old coped well on serve after saving two break points in a testing 10-minute opening service game, easing into a 4-1 lead.

Makarova, 26, hinted at a comeback when she broke for 4-3 but Sharapova responded immediately and served out the set after 48 minutes.

When she hammered away a backhand for the double break at 3-0 in the second, there was no way back for Makarova

FUMBLING EAGLES, MANCHESTER IS STILL UNITED, CHELSEA CRUISE, ARSENAL’S BLIP AND THE AUSSIES

The so called Super Eagles finally met their waterloo against a depleted Ghana team. Their pretense to the semi finals of the Nations cup was finally exposed when they were shown the better way to play the game against the Ghanaians. It is a regular thing for Nigeria to get to the semi-finals of the African cup so Amodu will not come over here to tell us he has done enough to lead to South Africa. 2010. He needs to work with someone who is more technically adept and who will be ready to motivate this obviously limited footballers we deceive by calling Eagles. More on this later but I already stated my position on another article

They may be neck deep in depth but Manchester United will be at Wembley for the umpteenth time. They may not yet be backed by sort of money their neighbours can call on whenever there is a need for that but still they showed to us again, there is still only one united and only one king in Manchester and you know who it was and still is, Manchester United Football Club. Carlos Tevez scored three goals against his old club but those were not enough to deny United yet another shot at a trophy. Man U laughs last but not because they didn’t get the humour but because they chose to strike when it mattered most, at the tail end of the two legged affair when the venom of losing would sting harder on their city rivals. Wayne Rooney’s stoppage time header was enough what they needed to deny City a final appearance at any competition for 29 years. When Tevez levelled the tie at three apiece with an exquisite backheel flick in the 76th minute, his celebrations showed how much he believed the tie had been saved but aren’t United the masters of late goals? When Wayne Rooney is hot, no goal keeper can stop him, not even an inspired Shay Given
The Craig Bellamy coin incident may have taken a little shine off United victory but no one will remember that when they file out against Aston Villa next month in London. United have once more put City in their place.
Chelsea brought Birmingham back to earth after their over three months long unbeaten league run. The game ended 3 nil with Frank Lampard earning a brace after Malouda set them on the right path. That was birmingham’s first loss since losing 3-1 to Arsenal at the Emirates in October. Arsenal on their part found the bar, the post but not the back of the net as they could only manage a nil-all draw with Aston Villa. They will be hoping for a better result against Manchester United this Sunday at the Emirates . There were also wins for Everton, Blackburn .
To the Australian Open, Justine Henin will face defending champion Serena Williams in the final of the Australian Open after both women won their semi-finals in straight sets.
Williams reached her fifth Melbourne final with a hard-fought 7-6 (7-4) 7-6 (7-1) win over China’s 16th seed Li Na.
And wildcard Henin then thrashed the unseeded Zheng Jie 6-1 6-0 in the day’s second semi-final.
Henin is playing only her second tournament since coming out of retirement after 18 months away.
And the Belgian is now one win from emulating compatriot Kim Clijsters, who won the US Open last September in her first Grand Slam event since ending her own spell out of the game.
This weekend I will love to be at the Emirates in London but that won’t happen so I will be watching Manchester United take on Arsenal at home. Y’all know what’s at stake…Have all the fun you can get, celebrate your victories BIG or small.cheers