Azarenka powers past Sharapova in Stanford Classic final

Maria Sharapova (L) of Russia congratulates Victoria Azarenka of Belarus after Azarenka won their Stanford Classic women's singles final match in Stanford, California August 1, 2010.

STANFORD, California (Reuters) - A charged-up Victoria Azarenka of Belarus won her first tournament of the year on Sunday, blowing away Maria Sharapova 6-4 6-1 in the Stanford Classic final.

In an amazing display of power tennis, Azarenka broke three times Grand Slam champion Sharapova six times, controlling most of the action with her accurate groundstrokes.

It was the eighth-seed's first title since she beat world number one Serena Williams in the final of 2009 Miami Open.

Azarenka, who celebrated her 21st birthday on Saturday, is set to rise to 12 in the rankings released on Monday.

(Editing by Dave Thompson)