Serena ready to dominate again

New world number one Serena Williams has warned rivals she is ready to dominate women's tennis again after her crushing Australian Open win over Dinara Safina—provided she can stay focused.

Bursting with confidence after thrashing Russia's Safina 6-0, 6-3 in Saturday's final to win her fourth Australian title and 10th Grand Slam, Williams said she was capable of winning every tournament she entered.

The American, who is also the reigning US Open champion, raised the possibility of achieving a second "Serena Slam" and said she aimed to hang onto the top ranking.

"I'm glad to be number one again and hopefully I can hold onto it this time," the 27-year-old said.

Williams initially won the top ranking in July 2002 and held it for 57 weeks before losing it then briefly reclaiming it last year before Serb Jelena Jankovic took it away again.
Safina's run to the Australian Open final means she becomes the new world number two.

But such was Williams' superiority over the player who is, on paper, her closest rival, that the Russian likened herself to a ball boy after the final.

"I definitely think it was one of my most dominant performances, especially considering it was a final," Williams said after winning the decider in just 59 minutes. "I was able to just lift the level of my game in the final."

She said her form could result in a repeat of the "Serena Slam", when she held all four majors simultaneously in 2002-03.

"The Serena Slam would be awesome to do again," she said. "With the likes of Dinara playing and all the other girls, it's going to be tough but I'm in for the challenge."

But Williams said she could not get ahead of herself, with her next Grand Slam at the French Open, where she was knocked out in the third round last year.

"My sights are on doing well in Paris," she said. "I didn't do well at all last year. So when I get there, I won't have that much to lose and I'll just be really relaxed."

Asked if she could emulate Margaret Court's record of 24 Grand Slam titles, she replied: "No, unless I could just win like all the time, then that could definitely happen if I stay focused."

The aspiring fashion designer and writer identified her own flickering attention span as the major obstacle toward maintaining her success.

While confident she could take apart any player on her day, she admitted to an uncharacteristic bout of self doubt early in the tournament as her serve failed to click and she struggled to put away opponents.

"I was playing lazy tennis in the beginning and I was doubting myself in the beginning," she said.

Warning the rising stars of the tour that she would be around for some time, Williams said she and sister Venus, 28, were both enjoying their tennis and had no plans to step aside.

"I always talk to Venus and we're always like 'we're going to play forever'," she said.

"I definitely feel like I have so many years to play. Obviously I think I'm playing pretty well."

Williams said she was thrilled to join the likes of Steffi Graf and Martina Navratilova in the elite group of players with 10 or more Grand Slams but did not yet feel comfortable being compared to such legends.

"I idolised Steffi Graf," she said. "When I played her I was like 'Oh My God, it's Steffi Graf' and Martina Navratilova was someone who was my role model, so when I think of these greats I don't really think of my name, I think of them.

"I think people are starting to think of me (in those terms), which is uber-cool, I can't even get my mind around that."