04 July 2004	Sunday	15 Jamadi-ul-Awwal 1425

LONDON, July 3: Russian 17-year-old Maria Sharapova pulled off one of the biggest ever Wimbledon upsets Saturday when she dethroned top seed and two-time defending champion Serena Williams 6-1, 6-4 in a stunning women's final.

She is the second youngest Wimbledon winner in the Open era behind Martina Hingis who was 16 when she won in 1997 and the first Russian to win.

And she ended a Williams family dynasty that dated back to 2000 when older sister Venus won the first of her two titles.

The Russian sunk to her knees and buried her face in her hands after Williams netted a forehand on match point.

Sharapova won the toss and chose to serve in her first appearance in a Grand Slam final. At 17 years and two months she was the youngest Wimbledon finalist since Hingis who was 16 years and nine months when she won in 1997.

Williams was playing her seventh Grand Slam final, winning six of them - two Wimbledons, two US, one French and one Australian.

But it was the first time since the 1999 US Open final that she was playing someone other than sister Venus in a Grand Slam championship match.

There was an immediate talking point as Sharapova headed off to the dressing rooms near the end of the warmup.

But after returning to the court, she made a confident start with three first serves that Williams failed to control

Sharapova took the first game but Williams comfortably levelled with a love game on her own service.

Williams turned on the power in the third game but Sharapova more than matched her hitting back from 0-30 down to maintain her lead.

The Russian earned the first break point of the match in the fourth game and with Williams bothered by the gusting wind, she grabbed the opportunity as the American hit long.

Sharapova made it three games in a row to lead 4-1 with Williams looking out of sorts and surprised by the youthful self-assurance coming from the other side of the net.

Williams saved three further break points in the next game, but could do nothing on the fourth as Sharapova belted a backhand cross-court shot past her off a weak second serve.

Serving for the set, Sharapova first staved off three break points before converting her fourth set point when Williams netted a forehand return.

Williams again tried to regain conrol at the start of the second but she was sent sprawling on her back after a long, bruising rally at break point against the Russian in the second game.

Sharapova levelled at 1-1 and games went with serve until the sixth game when Williams finally broke the Russian's serve after a stroke of luck when she broke a string returning a serve but the ball swivelled over the net for a winner.

But instead of powering ahead, Williams dropped her own serve to 15 as Sharapova clenched her fist and glared over the net.

The Russian levelled at 4-4 and then in a crucial ninth game she converted her fourth break point as Williams first slipped and then pushed a forehand wide.

Serving for the match, Sharapova got to 40-15, Williams saved the first match point but netted the second to complete the upset in the 1hr 13mins final.