"When I'm playing well, it's difficult for anyone to beat me" - When Serena Williams spoke on beating Maria Sharapova in Australian Open 2007 final
Serena Williams and Maria Sharapova have played some of the biggest matches in women's tennis history, and their clash at the 2007 Australian Open was no different.
Maria Sharapova was the top seed at the tournament and ousted Camille Pin, Anastasia Rodionova, Tathiana Garbin, Vera Zvonareva, Anna Chakvetadze and Kim Clijsters en route to the final.
Serena Williams, a seven-time Grand Slam champion at the time, was unseeded. She was ranked World No. 81 after having taken some time off from tennis to deal with mental health struggles.
But Williams was impeccable on her return to Melbourne. She bettered Mara Santangelo, Anne Kremer, Nadia Petrova, Jelena Jankovic, Shahar Pe'er and Nicole Vaidisova to set up the title clash against Sharapova.
Williams was at her ruthless best in the final and swept aside the challenge of the top-seed Russian 6-1, 6-2 to win the title. This was her third win at the Australian Open, after triumphs in 2003 and 2005. The American legend would go on to emerge victorious in Melbourne again in 2009, 2010, 2015, and 2017.
During her post-match press conference after the final, Serena Williams was asked about her thoughts on Sharapova's performance. She jokingly answered that no one on the women's tour could win against her.
The 23-time Grand Slam champion claimed that her unique style makes it impossible for her rivals to get an edge in matches. However, she complimented Sharapova for not giving up and competing till the last point.
"Like I said from the beginning, when I'm playing well, it's difficult for anyone to beat me - on the women's tour, just for the record (laughter). It's difficult for anyone to beat me because I have a unique style. I have a unique game. You know, tennis is what I think I was born to do," Williams said.
"Like I always said, when I'm playing well, it's difficult. I think she did a good job. She never gave up. Down to the last point, she was fighting. That's always something to be complimented for," she continued.
Serena Williams defeated Maria Sharapova 20 times on the WTA Tour
Serena Williams and Maria Sharapova's rivalry on the WTA Tour stretched over 15 years. It began back in 2004 at the Miami Open, where Williams bettered the Russian in the Round of 16. Their next contest came a few months later at the 2004 Wimbledon Championships, where Sharapova downed the American in the title clash.
Of their 22 matches on the WTA Tour, Serena Williams came out on top in 20. Apart from the 2004 Wimbledon final, the Russian's only other victory against Williams came in the final of the 2004 WTA Championships.
The two women last met on the court at the 2019 US Open. Eighth seed Serena Williams ousted the unseeded Sharapova in the opening round, the earliest contest between the two former World No. 1s in any tournament.