Serena's in the Zone!

Following a sensational 2012 in which she won titles at Wimbledon, the Olympic Games, US Open and the WTA Championships, Serena Williams showed the same kind of dominance to kick off her 2013 campaign in style. The American, seeded three in Brisbane, went all the way to collecting her 47th career title, cruising through the draw with another commanding display.

Things did get a bit easier for Williams as the week progressed though, with world number 1 and biggest thread, Victoria Azarenka, withdrawing 30 minutes before their semifinal clash due to a suspicious pedicure injury. Whether her opponent had a hidden agenda or if it was indeed a medical issue forcing her off court, Serena refused to bother. She took full advantage of the situation and enjoyed some me time on Centre Court, while signing autographs and posing for the tons of Aussie fans who came to witness an entertaining duel between the hottest players of the moment. Also, Maria Sharpova, the Russian second seed, forfeited the event, while Kvitova, Kerber, or Wozniacki all experienced premature losses. Under these circumstances, Serena had no difficulty in winning the crown, taking 51 minutes to blow rejuvenated Russian Anastasia Pavlyuchenkova off the court.

"Today was really good," told an excited Serena. "I kind of zoned, where I'm in a really calm place and not panicking, I'm not overthinking it and not just blasting every ball. I get really calm and kind of serene. I was looking at a lot of old matches on YouTube and I feel like right now I'm playing some of my best tennis. I feel like I want to do better and play better still, and I've always felt like I could play better."

Talking about the form that saw her win 52 of her last 54 matches, she confessed: "I've been in the zone a few times. I don't know if I was in the zone today, but I was definitely heading in that direction. I've been in the twilight zone before, where I just felt so good I couldn't do anything wrong."

Next up for Williams is the Australian Open where she hopes to collect her 6th title, while also regaining the world number 1 ranking from Azarenka. "It was a really good week in Brisbane, for sure," she said. "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."

photo: GETTY IMAGES