Australia Open (Womens) 2008: Serena Williams answered her critics with an overpowering victory in the Australian Open final.Unseeded and ranked 81st, Williams won for her eighth and most improbable Grand Slam title Saturday(26th January, 2008), beating Maria Sharapova 6-1, 6-2.

Only the second unseeded woman to win the Australian title in the Open era, Williams came to Melbourne Park with only three matches at a low-key warm-up tournament after missing most of last season because of a knee injury.

She will jump to No. 14 in the world next week after capturing her first title in 15 tournaments since her second Australian Open victory in 2005.