Tennis - Australian Open - Serena Williams stunned in Australian Open final as Angelique Kerber wins in three sets

The top-seeded American, a 21-time major winner, was expected to win comfortably but was broken on five separate occasions as she went down 4-6 6-3 4-6 

 

 

Angelique Kerber stunned Serena Williams to win her first Grand Slam title at the Australian Open.

The American superstar had won her last eight Major finals and was bidding to draw level with Steffi Graf's tally of 22 Grand Slam titles.

But the world No 1 looked gripped with nerves as she made 46 unforced errors to lose 4-6 6-3 6-4 in two hours and eight minutes.

The tearful new world No 2 said: “When I played here in the first round, I was a match point down and I had one leg on the plane to Germany. I had a second chance and to win the final is a dream come true for me.


New champ: Kerber has won her first major singles title

 

    Struggle: Williams couldn't find her highest level in the final 

 

Emotional: Kerber couldn't hold the tears back at the end of the match 

 

"My whole life I have been working really hard and now I can say I am a Grand Slam champion – it is crazy.
These have been the best two weeks of my life.”

Kerber is only the second champion in the Open era to save a match point in the first round – against Japan's Misaki Doi – and the first to win the Australian Open after losing in the opening round the previous year. She is the first German to win a Grand Slam since Graf in 1999.

Six-time champion Williams said: “Angie congratulations – you did so well. You played the best in this tournament and you truly deserve it.”

Chris Evert said: “Serena just never got going today – never got her timing. She is human. Sometimes we forget. We put her on a pedestal but she is a human being and she has nerves.”