Maria Sharapova has revealed that she still loves the challenge of trying to defeat Serena Williams, despite suffering her 16th successive loss to the American in the Australian Open final.

The second seed provided plenty of resilience against the world number one before finally succumbing 6-3 7-6(5).

After the match, the Russian was full of praise for her opponent after she won her 19th Grand Slam title.

The 27-year-old said: "I have to congratulate Serena on creating history and playing some of her best tennis.

"It's an honour to play against her. I haven't beaten her for a really long time but I love every time that I get to step onto the court with her because she has been the best and as a tennis player, you want to play the best.

"Congratulations on a great tournament and an incredible achievement."

Sharapova had been looking for her second Melbourne crown after previously winning the tournament in 2008.