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DPA/WTA
Madrid
Aryna Sabalenka turned the tables on Ashleigh Barty to win the Madrid Open title on Saturday.
Two weeks ago, Barty came from a set down to defeat Sabalenka in the final of the WTA event in Stuttgart, and it looked as if history would repeat itself when the world number one assumed the momentum going into the deciding set here.
But Sabalenka, one of the biggest hitters on tour, powered her way through the final three games for a 6-0, 3-6, 6-4 triumph and a 10th career title.
Barty had not lost a match on red clay for nearly two years since before she won her maiden grand slam title at Roland Garros in 2019.
She had no answer to the power of her 23-year-old Belarusian opponent in the first set here, though, as Sabalenka produced the shots that have seen her tipped as a future slam champion for several years.
Sabalenka appears closer to that than ever now and she will hit a new career-high ranking of four on Monday.
Just as impressive as her first-set dominance was the way she recomposed herself after her level dropped in the second set, refusing to let Barty engineer her way to another title.
The trophy is Sabalenka’s second of the season following Abu Dhabi in January, fourth in the past 12 months and 10th in total. The Belarusian will break the Top 5 for the first time next week as a result.
Barty had beaten Sabalenka in three sets in both the Miami quarterfinals last month and the Stuttgart final two weeks ago. The Australian was also on a 16-match red clay winning streak, and had won her past 10 clashes against Top 10 opposition.
But Sabalenka ended both those streaks emphatically and levelled the head-to-head at four apiece. Impressively, the 23-year-old not only displayed a near-unplayable peak level in a dominant first set, but managed to out-compete one of the game’s finest tacticians deep into a third set.
Sabalenka had been in phenomenal form leading up to the final, dropping just 18 games in five matches, and began in the same vein. A flawless opening act saw Sabalenka strike 11 winners, commit only one unforced error and land 75% of her first serves.
The result was the first bagel set Barty had received in four years, and just the eighth of her entire professional career.
Madrid
Aryna Sabalenka turned the tables on Ashleigh Barty to win the Madrid Open title on Saturday.
Two weeks ago, Barty came from a set down to defeat Sabalenka in the final of the WTA event in Stuttgart, and it looked as if history would repeat itself when the world number one assumed the momentum going into the deciding set here.
But Sabalenka, one of the biggest hitters on tour, powered her way through the final three games for a 6-0, 3-6, 6-4 triumph and a 10th career title.
Barty had not lost a match on red clay for nearly two years since before she won her maiden grand slam title at Roland Garros in 2019.
She had no answer to the power of her 23-year-old Belarusian opponent in the first set here, though, as Sabalenka produced the shots that have seen her tipped as a future slam champion for several years.
Sabalenka appears closer to that than ever now and she will hit a new career-high ranking of four on Monday.
Just as impressive as her first-set dominance was the way she recomposed herself after her level dropped in the second set, refusing to let Barty engineer her way to another title.
The trophy is Sabalenka’s second of the season following Abu Dhabi in January, fourth in the past 12 months and 10th in total. The Belarusian will break the Top 5 for the first time next week as a result.
Barty had beaten Sabalenka in three sets in both the Miami quarterfinals last month and the Stuttgart final two weeks ago. The Australian was also on a 16-match red clay winning streak, and had won her past 10 clashes against Top 10 opposition.
But Sabalenka ended both those streaks emphatically and levelled the head-to-head at four apiece. Impressively, the 23-year-old not only displayed a near-unplayable peak level in a dominant first set, but managed to out-compete one of the game’s finest tacticians deep into a third set.
Sabalenka had been in phenomenal form leading up to the final, dropping just 18 games in five matches, and began in the same vein. A flawless opening act saw Sabalenka strike 11 winners, commit only one unforced error and land 75% of her first serves.
The result was the first bagel set Barty had received in four years, and just the eighth of her entire professional career.
