Williams cruises to Brisbane title win

Serena Williams confirmed her eagerness to get started at the Australian Open as she demolished Russia’s Anastasia Pavlyuchenkova 6-2, 6-1 in just 50 minutes to win the Brisbane International yesterday.

Third-seeded Williams served notice that she will be the one to beat at the first Grand Slam of the year later on this month with a ruthless display against Pavlyuchenkova, the world number 36.

The 31-year-old said she felt “in the zone” at times during the final and said she couldn’t wait to get to Melbourne, where she will be aiming for her sixth Australian Open crown.

“That was really good – I think I just kind of zoned and I felt like I really wanted to do well,” Williams said.

“I really felt like I was playing a top player because she’d taken two top 10 players out, so I knew that I couldn’t give her a chance.

“It was a really good week for sure. I definitely worked hard for this week, and I’m going to do a little more work so I can be ready in eight days.”

Williams took control of the final at 2-2 in the first set when she went on a run of seven straight games and never looked like losing against an increasingly demoralised opponent, who had no answer to Williams’s power and aggression.

“She put so much pressure on from the start, so I felt like I had to go for winners or aces or these amazing serves,” Pavlyuchen-kova said.

“When I slowed down a little she was there. Serena was returning, making winners and serving aces... so you cannot stop.

“You have to play your best level every point, which is quite tough to keep it up, so then at 3-2 I didn’t serve aces, I didn’t serve as well, and then she was there.”

Williams sent down nine aces and won 91 per cent of her first serves, blasting 24 winners past Pavlyu-chenkova, who looked shell-shocked at times with the pace of the American’s groundstrokes.

The 15-time Grand Slam winner has now won 47 titles on the WTA tour and lost only once since the French Open last year, winning 35 of her past 36 matches.

Murray in final

Defending champion Andy Murray was handed a berth in the final of the Brisbane International yesterday when Japan’s Kei Nishikori retired from their semi-final with a knee injury.

Murray had taken the first set 6-4 and was up 2-0 in the second when Nishikori, who had treatment on his knee at the end of the first set, decided he couldn’t continue and conceded the match.

Murray, 25, will now play Grigor Dimitrov in today’s final after the rising Bulgarian star edged out Cyprus’s Marcos Baghdatis 6-3, 5-7, 7-6 in the first semi-final.