Then comes the champion, as Kerber holds aloft the Daphne Akhurst Memorial Cup. She can barely breathe when she comes to speak:

Serena, you are an inspiration, an unbelievable great person, so congrats for everything you did already. In the first round I was match point down so I was already one leg on the plane to Germany. I got a second chance and I take my chance. To win it, my dream came true tonight. My whole life I was working really hard, now I’m here and I can say I’m a grand slam champion. I have the best family, the best team in the world. I really enjoy this moment. Thank you so much. The best two weeks of my life, my career. I had goosebumps when I was playing. See you next year.


Apparently Kerber said she’d jump in the Yarra River a la Jim Courier if she won the title. She’s already welling up though as she finishes her speech and holds court on Rod Laver with the trophy.
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Wow. That was only Williams’s fifth defeat in a grand slam final. She’d won 21 out of 25 before today. It’s the first time she’s lost the final set in a major final. Kerber had never even been in a grand slam final before today. Kerber has confounded the stats by playing the match of her life on the biggest stage of her life.
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Gracious from Williams, who comes straight over to Kerber’s side of the court to congratulate the victor. The pair embrace, Williams has some warm words for the German, who then resumes her celebrations by going to her players’ box. Williams can’t watch as she sits slumped in her chair. It was Roberta Vinci who ended Williams’s hopes of matching Graf’s grand slam record at the US Open; now it’s Kerber who has put history on hold in Australia. Unglaublich. I’m sure a certain German is watching in Las Vegas with a smile on her face.



Kerber wins the Australian Open title 6-4, 3-6, 6-4! 

Kerber’s face has the expression of a woman who thinks her moment has passed. She needs to shake that off, because if she were to win this game, she would still be the Australian Open champion. She manages to quickly get herself out of the funk by taking the first point. And the second! 0-30. Williams opts for her go-to serve down the T. Ace. 15-30. Williams goes for a rocket of a serve out wide but misses. The second serve lands in, the pair engage in a lengthy duel from the back of the court, Kerber, perhaps waiting for Williams to miss rather than going for a winner herself, retreats well beyond the baseline and is eventually beaten. 30-all. Will it be game point or will it be match point? Game point, when Williams sets the point up with a gutsy forehand down the line and then goes t’other way for the winner. 40-30. Now Kerber is behind in the game, she finds it within herself to attack. Deuce. Kerber goes toe-to-toe with Williams in a breathtaking cross-court exchange and brings up championship point! Williams comes to the net but inexplicably misses the volley which loops long! I can’t believe I’m writing this but Angelique Kerber is the Australian Open champion! Yes, Angelique Kerber is the Australian Open champion!