Supreme Serena

MELBOURNE — A jubilant Serena Williams said it was “awesome” to finally clinch a record 23rd Grand Slam title after beating her sister Venus in the Australian Open final, a result which also took her back to world number one. The dominant American won her seventh Aussie title 6-4, 6-4 to finally surpass Steffi Graf’s Open-era milestone of 22 major wins, nearly 18 years after she lifted her first Slam trophy at the 1999 US Open. The 35-year-old Serena, who had equaled Graf’s mark at Wimbledon last year, now stands just one behind the all-time record of 24 won by Margaret Court, who was in the president’s box at Rod Laver Arena. “I don’t like numbers during a tournament when I am trying to reach a big milestone. Now we can talk about it,” she told ESPN, after posing in shoes branded with ‘23’ on the heel. “It’s pretty awesome. I really wanted to get to 23, more than you can ever imagine. And I kept telling myself, ‘Serena, 22 isn’t bad’. “To get to number 23 here is really rather special, against Venus as well because my first big match was against her here on this court. Going into this match, it felt like it was all full circle.” Serena’s astonishing achievement also means she ends the brief stay at world number one of Angelique Kerber, who displaced Williams in September after three-and-a-half years at the top. Fittingly, her sister and closest confidante, Venus, was on the other side of the net to share the moment of victory, another chapter written in their amazing family history. “There is no way I would be at 23 without her. There is no way I would be at one (title) without her,” said Serena. “She is my inspiration. She is the only reason I am standing here today and the only reason that the Williams sisters exist.” It was Venus — when still a teenager with beads in her hair — who knocked Serena out in round two on her Grand Slam debut in Melbourne 19 years ago, and they have since played nine major finals together, living each other’s highs and lows. Peers-Kontinen stun Bryans Australia’s John Peers and his Finnish partner Henri Kontinen upset highly decorated Americans Bob and Mike Bryan to win the Australian Open men’s doubles on Saturday. Seeded four, they came through a tough battle 7-5, 7-5 on Rod Laver Arena to deprive the third-seeded Bryan brothers of a seventh Melbourne title and a 17th Grand Slam crown. For Peers and Kontinen it was a first major title, with the Melbourne-born Australian fittingly hitting the winner, spinning a lob over the head of the Bryan twins. He is the first Australian to win the title since Todd Woodbridge in 2001. Kostyuk wins junior girls title Marta Kostyuk has won the Australian Open junior girls title with a 7-5, 1-6, 6-4 win over top-seeded Rebeka Masarova of Switzerland on Saturday. The 14-year-old from Ukraine broke Masarova’s serve in the ninth game of the final set, then held her serve in the 10th, clinching the match on a forehand.