Williams hails victory

The 25-year-old American took little over an hour to dismiss the new world number one and top seed and clinch her eighth Grand Slam title and third Australian Open after the crowns she won in 2003 and 2005.

"This one's right up there with the top," said Williams who will leap from 81st to 14th in the world rankings when the new list is released on Monday.

"I was driven. This morning I woke up and felt different, I felt good. I'm happy, I'm confident not nervous. It's an awesome feeling.

"Every match I write notes. Today my note was just Yetunde," she added after dedictating her victory to her sister who was shot in Los Angeles in 2003.

"Usually I write, 'look at the ball, move forward, do this, do that.' Today I just had one word.

"Every changeover I looked at it and I just thought of how happy she would have been, how much she always supported me.

"I just thought about what an amazing sister she was to me.

"I just said, 'Serena, this has to be motivating. This has to be more than enough to motivate me,' and I think it was."

Williams also said that she was happy to have played her own game during the match after being forced to come from behind against both Nadia Petrova in the third round - when she trailed by a set and a break before recovering - and Shahar Peer in the quarter finals - when she lost the first set.

"My plan was too play my game and I finally played it for the first time this tournament," she said.

"That's how I was raised to play that game of tennis, it's the Serena I've been trying to showcase for years and years.

"I've said from the beginning when I'm playing well it's difficult for anyone to beat me on the women's tour because I have a unique style, a unique game.

"Tennis is what I was born to do."

An injury plagued season in 2006 saw Williams only play four tournaments and saw her rankings plummet but the American warned that she was ready to make her comeback.

"I'm ready for the claycourts, I want to take my game to a new level," Williams said of her weaker surface clay.

"I'm definitely playing more than four tournaments this year."