Sharapova praises Williams

It took Williams little over an hour to seal victory over the current US Open champion and new world number one in the most one-sided final since Steffi Graf beat Arantxa Sanchez Vicario for the loss of just two games in 1994.

"She played flawless tennis," Sharapova said.

"I was trying to find ways to get into the match but I wasn't able to do it. She was serving big and pretty consistent.

"We played some good tennis but didn't have many long rallies because she was aggressive with all her shots, going for them and making most of them.

"My serving percentage was not good enough. It was a matter of serving well and returning well and I didn't think I did either today."

The 19-year-old Russian said she was not surprised by how well unseeded world number 81 Williams had played at the tournament.

"I expected her to play well, she's won six matches here and she has no reason not to be confident. Her first serve is consistently the biggest in the game. It's definitely her biggest weapon."

Sharapova came within two points of defeat to Camille Pin in her first round match as she struggled with temperatures that soared to over 40 degrees and said she was pleased to have made the final.

"I don't like losing, it's not fun but these moments make stronger," she said.

"It's definitely not the end of the world, I got to the final of a grand slam and I have a lot to be proud of."