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Victoria Azarenka outclassed Maria Sharapova in the Australian Open final to win her maiden Grand Slam title and become the new world number one.
The 22-year-old Belarusian marked her first major final with a nerveless display, coming through 6-3 6-0 in an hour and 22 minutes on Rod Laver Arena.
Three-time major champion Sharapova could not live with her opponent's pace, variety or unrelenting intensity.
The win sees Azarenka replace Caroline Wozniacki at the top of the rankings.
It was the first time since the 2009 Australian Open that the number one spot has been decided by the outcome of a Grand Slam final.