Sabalenka Defeats Kudermetova To Win Brisbane International Title
6 months ago 2 min read
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Aryna Sabalenka defeated Polina Kudermetova 4-6 6-3 6-2 in 106 minutes to win the Brisbane International title on Sunday.
She produced a stunning performance to round up her preparations ahead of the Australian Open, where she will be eyeing a third straight title.
She won just 65% of points on her first serve in the first set and hit seven winners to go with 12 unforced errors.
A break point saved at 1-2 in the second set was the turning point, Sabalenka produced an angled slice forehand drop shot to break Kudermetova’s serve.
Seeded No.1 in Brisbane, Sabalenka defeated Renata Zarazua, Yulia Putintseva, Marie Bouzkova, Mirra Andreeva and Kudermetova on her way to winning her fourth title on Australian soil
She was delighted to emerge victorious, declaring her readiness to participate in the Australian Open.
Sabalenka said::”I definitely feel my game pretty well. Mentally, physically I’ll be ready to go at the Australian Open. Really happy with the way the week went. Having this trophy going to the major, it’s really important.
“I had a break in the first set. “I was trying to play too conservative, I would say. I wasn’t following the plan. That was the moment where everything clicked for her and she was, like, smashing the ball. Seems like everything is going in. I was like, I cannot do much in this situation.
“In that second set, I just put her under a little pressure. I saw the way she was reacting, the way she was playing. She was rushing things a lot. I was like, I’m just going to stay aggressive, keep pushing, keep swinging the ball, and hopefully I’ll be able to turn around this game.”
Sabalenka increased her point lead over WTA No. 2 Iga Swiatek by a bit over 400 points to lead Swiatek by 1,556 points when the new rankings come out on Monday.
