Australian Open: Sharapova champion.

Maria Sharapova and Ana Ivanovic were playing for the Australian Open championship, the first grand slam title of 2008. Both players had knocked off top contenders like Justine Henin and Serena Williams along the way and both deserved to be there.

In a very disputed first set, Sharapova managed to edge Ivanovic wih a break of serve late in the set. The second set went smoother for the russian athlete, increasing her pressure on her opponent.

Maria Sharapova did not lose a single set on her way to her 3rd grand slam title in career. A 7-5 and 6-3 victory for Maria Sharapova is now registered in the books.

With her 2004 Wimbledon title and her 2006 triumph at the U.S. Open, the only major championship missing on Sharapova’s trophy case is Roland-Garros.

You can all forget Anna Kournikova’s name guys. Maria Sharapova combines beauty, class and talent. With the first grand slam tournament of the year in the bag, she could very soon be ranked No1 in the world. Of course, Roland-Garros will be the next big challenge on Maria’s list. The actual No1 Justine Henin has better watch out come French Open and Wimbledon or she could see Maria’s little fist pump again...

(Picture: Maria Sharapova, Getty images.)