Linda Pearce on Serena Williams - Sport

Linda Pearce

Linda Pearce is the Chief Tennis Writer and general sports reporter for The Age. She writes about a range of sports, including football, netball, and gymnastics. Linda has twice been named Australian tennis writer of the year.

Tennis

Final yields tears, pain and fireworks

Linda Pearce Victoria Azarenka defended her Australian Open title at Melbourne Park on Saturday night, but not before the drama that preceded the final spilled over into the match itself.

Tennis

Stosur stumbles with end in sight

Linda Pearce Oh dear. Oh, really. Just, oh. Sam Stosur's latest Australian Open has ended early.

Williams's bid takes a whacky turn

Linda Pearce OPPONENTS are struggling to inflict damage on Serena Williams but the Australian Open favourite is doing a good job of doing it to herself.

Tennis

Sam's honest admission stuns top seed

Linda Pearce The surprise to Victoria Azarenka was that Sam Stosur would admit to the third-set choke against Zheng Jie.

Tennis

Slap in the face for unbeaten Serena

Linda Pearce Rivals are struggling to damage Serena Williams, she's being left to land blows on herself.

Serena sets up teen protege showdown

Linda Pearce Five-time champion Serena Williams has delivered another devastating display to set up a mouth-watering Australian Open showdown with her teenage heir apparent Sloane Stephens.

Challenger shows the nerve to be idol threat

Linda Pearce WHEN people ask Martina Navratilova (major singles titles: 18) how she would fare in a fantasy singles match against Serena Williams (major singles titles: 15, and mounting), she has a stock response.

Tennis

Roller-coaster ride, but Azarenka smiles

Linda Pearce VICTORIA Azarenka was not sure whether the extraordinary circumstances of her second Australian Open title made Saturday night's dramatic victory more satisfying than her grand slam breakthrough 12...

Tennis

Azarenka focused on winning, not her nemesis

Linda Pearce World No.1 Victoria Azarenka has returned to Australia illuminated by the spotlight that comes with being the reigning Australian Open champion, but she insists her approach to this year’s tournament...

Azarenka back, ready to roll

Linda Pearce, Brisbane World No. 1 is back with an approach she insists will be no different from last year.

Tennis

One Australian's luck runs out as Hewitt waits

Linda Pearce, Brisbane Jarmila Gajdosova leaves in a flurry of errors, the last Australian woman to exit main draw.

Eight is enough

Linda Pearce Petra Kvitova, the 2011 Wimbledon champion, was close to claiming top billing in the world a year ago, but she is content to be heading into 2013 as world No. 8.

Tennis

Azarenka foots cost of pedicure with forfeit in semi-final

Linda Pearce AN OVERZEALOUS pedicurist has been fingered for disrupting the Australian Open preparation of defending champion Victoria Azarenka, who withdrew from Friday night's Brisbane International semi-final...

Tennis

Injury forces Azarenka out of Williams clash

Linda Pearce A bad pedicure has been fingered for disrupting the Australian Open preparation of defending champion Victoria Azarenka.

No-shows a go for the Open-minded

Linda Pearce The lead-up to the Australian Open has been notable for those who have been absent.

Ten things to like about tennis this summer

Linda Pearce Interactive: The tournaments, players and moments to watch this season.

Tennis

Serena's rekindled passion

Linda Pearce Serena Williams makes jokes about arthritis these days, about the good-time girl who has become so staid that she often fancies a nanna nap, and so dull that sometimes she even bores herself.