Australian Open blog. The Best women’s finals

1974: Evonne Goolagong d. Chris Evert, 7-6(5) 4-6 6-0 
 Evonne Goolagong landed the first of her four Australian Open titles in her fourth final, beating a 19-year-old Chris Evert in sweltering conditions. The Australian got off to a fine start but Evert was in the ascendency before the players were granted a 10-minute break ahead of the final set. Goolagong took a shower back in the changing rooms and returned refreshed and refocused, racing away with the decider in 18 minutes. 

 1981: Martina Navratilova d. Chris Evert, 6-7(4) 6-4 7-5 
 Martina Navratilova and Chris Evert monopolised the Australian Open for five years, starting with this classic first encounter that marked a turning point in the duo’s rivalry. Navratilova, who had not won a major in over two years, returned with a new training regimen and a newfound steeliness when it mattered. Evert battled back from 5-1 to 5-5 in the final set but could not outfox Navratilova, who claimed her third major. She would have her revenge in 12 months’ time. 

 1993: Monica Seles d. Steffi Graf, 4-6 6-3 6-2 
 There was no way of knowing the significance of Monica Seles’ third consecutive Australian Open triumph at the time. Instead, the world simply marvelled at the 19-year-old’s continuing dominance of the women’s game. But her hard-fought victory over Steffi Graf it was to be her last Grand Slam appearance for almost three years. In April a spectator stabbed her in the back during a tournament in Hamburg, keeping her away from tennis for over two years. On her return to Melbourne in 1996 she won her fourth Australian Open, her final Grand Slam victory. 

 2003: Serena Williams d. Venus Williams, 7-6(4) 3-6 6-4 
 The fourth instalment of Serena and Venus Williams’ Grand Slam sister act had more plot twists than their final showdowns in Paris, Wimbledon and New York in 2002, but the result was the same. After more than two hours of no-holds-barred tennis the younger Williams sister completed the ‘Serena Slam’ with a little help from Venus, who made four unforced errors while serving to stay in the match. 

 2010: Serena Williams d. Justine Henin, 6-4 3-6 6-2 
 Like fellow Belgian Kim Clijsters before her, Justine Henin reached the final of her first Grand Slam since coming out of retirement. But where Clijsters collected a second US Open crown in 2009, Henin’s fairytale ended in the final against Serena Williams, whose serve was all but unreturnable. A fifth Australian Open title drew Williams level with Billie Jean King’s tally of 12 majors. "I'm tied with you now Billie,” she said afterwards. “That was my goal."