Maria Sharapova sounded an ominous warning to her rivals after securing her first Australian Open title by claiming her best years are still ahead of her.

The Russian overcame Serbia's number four seed Ana Ivanovic 7-5 6-3 in hot conditions at Rod Laver Arena to add the title to her other grand slam triumphs - the 2004 Wimbledon and 2006 US Open crowns.

Sharapova could hardly have been more impressive at Melbourne Park, winning every match in straight sets.

The number five seed dropped just 32 games in the entire tournament - the fewest number of games conceded by a female singles champion at the Australian Open since Steffi Graf lost just 29 in 1988.

But in a warning to the game's other leading players, Sharapova believes she will only improve in future.

"I know I've already won three grand slams but I keep saying that I don't think I'm at the peak of my career yet," Sharapova said.

"I don't think my body has developed 100% into its own and I've got many things to learn in my tennis and many things to build and improve."

Sharapova, whose victims on the way to winning her first Australian Open title included Lindsay Davenport, world number one Justine Henin and number three seed Jelena Jankovic, reckons the fact she had such a tough draw makes her latest grand slam success more satisfying than the first two.

"This was probably the toughest draw that I've ever had in a grand slam but I'm the champion here," she said. "So if I can get a tough draw and win it - hey, I'd do that any time."

Sharapova also drew enormous satisfaction from the way she rebounded from last year's 6-1 6-2 loss to Serena Williams in the 2007 Melbourne Park decider.

"It's satisfying, period, to win a grand slam and to win one that you've never won before - especially after some of the tough losses that I've had," she said.

"But looking back at those (losses), it makes it a little more special as well."

The victory sees Sharapova draws level with comeback mum Davenport - who she thrashed in the second round - on three grand slam titles.

The only current female players to have enjoyed more major success than the 20-year-old Russian are Serena Williams (eight titles), Henin (seven) and Venus Williams (six).

But few players have ever won a grand slam tournament as convincingly as the Russian did over the past fortnight.

Sharapova, who has struggled in the Melbourne conditions in the past, not only handled the 34-degree heat far better than her opponent but also the big-match atmosphere.

Despite being just two points from losing the first set, when trailing 4-5 and 0-30, Sharapova's serve and steadiness under pressure proved the difference.

Sharapova committed just 15 unforced errors to Ivanovic's 33 and was practically unbeatable on serve, winning 89% of points on her first serve and 70% on her second.

Ivanovic, who broke Sharapova just once in the match and lost her own serve on four occasions, took heart from the fact she performed far better in her second grand slam final than in her first when she was humiliated 6-1 6-2 by Henin in last year's French Open final.

The 20-year-old, who would have become the first Serbian to win a grand slam, believes her breakthrough in the majors is not far away.

"I felt much better in today's final than I felt in the French Open final (last year) so that is something that is very positive," Ivanovic said after her loss.

"Obviously I was emotional out there and I was really disappointed that I couldn't take the chances that I had.

"But on the other hand I'm still young and I still think I have a lot of grand slam finals in front of me so it's just a learning experience and a learning process."