July 3 (Bloomberg) -- Teenager Maria Sharapova beat defending champion Serena Williams in the Wimbledon women's tennis final to become the first Russian to claim a title at the All England club in London.

``It's just amazing,'' Sharapova told the British Broadcasting Corp. ``Serena, I'm sorry to have to take this from you for one year. I am sure there will be many more moments to come when we will be fighting it out for a trophy.''

The Siberian-born 17-year-old, who was seeded 13, posted a 6- 1, 6-4 victory. She is the second youngest champion since Martina Hingis took the title in 1997 aged 16.

It ends a five-year hold on the women's title by American players. Serena's sister Venus hoisted the winner's plate in 2000 and Lindsay Davenport did the same a year earlier. Serena, who had lost a Grand Slam final once before, in 2001 at the U.S. Open, won Wimbledon the past two years.

Sharapova got the first break in the fourth game of the first set and held her serve to lead 4-1. She failed to convert three break points in the next game before taking the fourth and then served out the set.

The second set was closer as the opening five games went with serve, before Williams, who was aiming to emulate Billie- Jean King, Martina Navratilova and Steffi Graf in taking a third straight Wimbledon singles title, got her first break.

Williams, 22, didn't take advantage and failed to hold her own serve, allowing Sharapova to tie the set at 4-4. Despite saving five break points in her next service game, Williams was again broken and her opponent then served for the match.

``She played a great match and congratulations to her on her first Grand Slam,'' Williams said.

Sharapova moved to Florida with her father and $700 at age 7 and enrolled in Nick Bollettieri's tennis academy that trained players such as Venus and Serena, Andre Agassi, Monica Seles and Boris Becker. The 6-foot (1.83-meter) Sharapova, who has climbed to world No. 15, got her first grass-court title at the DFS Classic in Birmingham, England, just before Wimbledon.

It is the second successive Grand Slam title claimed by a Russian. Anastasia Myskina claimed the French Open crown last month to become the nation's first woman to win one of the four elite tournaments.