Serena Williams has warmed up perfectly for a crack at a sixth Australian Open crown by easily claiming the Brisbane International title.
Williams grabbed the 46th title in her remarkable tennis career with a ruthless 6-2 6-1 final triumph over Russian Anastasia Pavlyuchenkova at Pat Rafter Arena on Saturday night.
The American world No.3 took just 50 minutes to claim the Evonne Goolagong-Cawley Trophy, outgunning Pavlyuchenkova with her awesome power and control.
While fellow drawcards Maria Sharapova and world No.1 Victoria Azarenka withdrew from the year-opening tournament with minor injuries to safeguard their Australian Open chances, Williams flexed her muscles.
She didn’t lose a set in four matches, not including the semi-final walkover against Azarenka (toe), and conceded just 17 games in total.
It gives her 16 straight wins on tour and 35 from 36 matches since a shock first round loss at the French Open, which shook her into career-best form.
The next “sweet 16” on offer is a 16th grand slam title at Melbourne Park, where she has triumphed five times before.
Williams’ sometime-karaoke partner Pavlyuchenkova was on song early, reeling off an array of forehand winners to conceding just one point in her first two service games.
But the 31-year-old pounced on the world No.36’s double fault for 0-30 at 3-2 to break serve.
Pavlyuchenkova won just three more points for the set and then Williams went on with the job quickly in the second, breaking immediately in a seven-game run.
The 21-year-old’s cumbersome movement around the court was exposed by Williams’ powerful and precise groundstrokes.
Williams fired down nine aces, and again pushed 200km/h on serve, in front of an appreciative 5000-strong crowd which also urged the Russian on with every game, but to no avail.
Pavlyuchenkova admitted she was clueless how to counter Williams’ class.
“Congratulations Serena. I almost feel like I don’t know how to play tennis when I play against you,” she said at the trophy presentation.