Samantha Stosur set her sights on more success at the highest level after stunning Serena Williams in the final of the US Open.

The Australian was playing in her second grand slam final having lost to Francesca Schiavone at the French Open last year and Sunday's 6-2 6-3 victory earned her only her third singles title on the elite tour.

The most impressive thing was the way Stosur played against an opponent who was on an 18-match winning streak and who had not lost a set in the tournament going into the final.

The 27-year-old took the fight to Williams from the first point, powering returns back at the American and dictating the match with her serve and her forehand.

Assessing the impact her victory will have, she said: "I'd like to be able to continue this. I guess time will tell.

"For sure it will just reinstate that belief and confidence in myself. Hopefully this is the first day of a new beginning for me as a player."

It was not the first US Open title for Stosur, who also won the women's doubles in 2005, when she was known primarily for her prowess in that form of the game.

But a long spell out with Lyme Disease in 2007 and 2008 prompted her to refocus her efforts on singles.

She said: "I had that great success in doubles and that was fantastic but once I got sick and got over that illness, then I didn't want to leave anything to chance.

"Obviously now it was definitely the right decision to try and follow those dreams and those footsteps. It's something that I've worked very hard for and now to actually get that huge reward is very pleasing."

She added of her illness: "I always tried to believe it would be possible to come back from that and I was very lucky that I did recover very quickly and get back on the court and do what I wanted to do.

"So, if anything, it kind of made me open my eyes more that you don't necessarily always get a second chance. I wanted to take every opportunity I had, and I have now been able to fulfil that."

Stosur knows the attention will now be firmly focused on whether she can emulate her success here at the Australian Open in January, where so far she has never been past the fourth round.

"I know it's going to be different, and hopefully I can handle it and learn from everything I've gone through over the past years to be able to handle it as best I can," she said.

"But I guess we'll see how I handle it when the time comes. But if I can play like I did here, then hopefully it's all going to be okay."

The comprehensive nature of the result and her second-set rant at umpire Eva Asderaki overshadowed what has been a hugely impressive tournament from Williams.

The 29-year-old only returned from a year on the sidelines with injury and ill health in June and struggled through three rounds at Wimbledon before losing to Marion Bartoli.

For most of the US Open fortnight she looked back to her best, moving very well and striking the ball brilliantly, but she could not find that form in the final.

She was undoubtedly not helped by a late finish to her semi-final on Saturday night and by lingering concerns over the troublesome foot problem that kept her out for so long, but Williams had no complaints.

She said: "To even have a chance to play for the US Open, I would have never thought I would have had that chance seven weeks ago during Wimbledon, let alone six months ago. I just would have never thought that that opportunity would have been available.

"So I can't be too upset at myself. I think I'm excited that I'm healthy and alive and still competing with the best. Every time I lose I get better. So watch out."

While the match will inevitably be remembered for Williams' conduct, what cannot be overstated is just how well Stosur played on her first match on Arthur Ashe Stadium to win her maiden grand slam title.

The 27-year-old, who has only won two WTA Tour titles, reached her first slam final at the French Open last year and was the favourite to beat Francesca Schiavone - but she could not rise to the occasion.

That was certainly not a problem here. Williams was on an 18-match winning streak and had not lost a set going into the final but she was on the back foot almost from the first point.

Stosur, the first Australian woman to win a grand slam title since Evonne Goolagong in 1980, said: "I'm still kind of speechless. I can't actually believe I won this tournament.

"I guess to go out there and play the way I did is obviously an unbelievable feeling, and you always hope and you want to be able to do that, but to actually do it is unbelievable.

"I felt like I was definitely the underdog going into it, so maybe that made me a little more relaxed going into this match than especially my last grand slam final. I think I was able to draw on a lot of that experience from the French Open.

"I had to believe I had a chance to win. I think obviously having two victories over her in the past definitely helped me feel it was possible.

"I've played matches where I feel like I can't miss a ball, and it's fantastic - but to do it under these circumstances in this kind of final against a player like Serena, for sure I'm going to think it's one of the best days of my career."

Stosur was also reluctant to discuss the second-set incident but admitted it was difficult to maintain her concentration.

"Everything happened so quickly out there, and you're trying to get to the ball and play every single shot," said the ninth seed.

"I guess the rules of tennis are there for a reason. She (Asderaki) made the call she felt was right.

"It was difficult to stay focused, and then obviously the crowd got heavily involved. It was probably the loudest I ever felt a crowd in my whole entire life. You're right in the middle of it.

"It was definitely a quite overwhelming feeling. But, once I hit that next ball in the court and started playing again, I felt settled. I guess it definitely could have been the big pivotal point in the match."