World No. 1 Aryna Sabalenka known as her red-hot kind “like a dream” after beating Coco Gauff 6-3, 7-6 (7-3) on Saturday to say her third Madrid Open title.
The prime seed dominated the opening set and held her nerve in a tense second, sealing the win as fourth-ranked Gauff double-faulted within the tiebreak.
Sabalenka now leads the tour with 31 wins this season, including the WTA 1000 trophy to earlier triumphs in Brisbane and Miami.
It marked her sixth last of the 12 months and the thirty seventh of her profession – and her fourth in Madrid in simply 5 seasons.
“(Getting to six finals) sounds crazy, to be honest … I work hard and I know that if I bring my game and if I fight for every point that I’m capable of that,” Sabalenka informed reporters.
“But to really, like, do it for actual, I used to be like, OK, that is cool. This is … like a dream.
“I really hope that I’m going to keep doing what I’m doing and keep playing the way I’m playing right now.”
Last 12 months, Sabalenka was crushed by Iga Swiatek within the last. Gauff thrashed the Pole within the semifinals on Thursday.
Swiatek is struggling for kind, giving Sabalenka little competitors for the No. 1 rating and making her a number one contender for the French Open – the positioning of Swiatek’s final title almost a 12 months in the past.
“You know, like now probably Iga is not doing well, which is absolutely fine, and I know that she’s going to come back,” Sabalenka continued.
“I’m just working for the future, like trying to improve my game as much as I can, just so I’m ready for whoever is going to bring the challenge on court.”
The three-time Grand Slam champion ripped by way of the primary set after Gauff managed an preliminary maintain.
Sabalenka received the following 17 factors and raced to a 4-1 lead with breaks within the third and fifth video games, as Gauff struggled to deal with her energy.
The 21-year-old American, who received the U.S. Open in 2023, managed a break of her personal to decelerate the 2021 and 2023 Madrid champion.
Sabalenka broke once more to wrap up the primary set in 35 minutes, changing her second set level as Gauff sliced broad.
‘Could have showed up better’
Gauff got here out stronger within the second set, mixing up her serve and incomes a break within the third sport, then consolidating for a 3-1 lead.
She saved two break factors underneath heavy strain within the sixth sport to carry for 4-2.
Serving for the set at 5-4, Gauff double-faulted twice, giving Sabalenka three break factors.
Sabalenka dropped her racquet throughout a rally on the second of these, glancing towards the gang in bemusement, as Gauff saved all three.
After squandering a set level, Gauff saved one other break level, however Sabalenka ultimately transformed on her fifth likelihood to stage the set.
The prime seed held for 6-5, then missed a championship level earlier than Gauff compelled a tiebreak.
Sabalenka earned two mini-breaks earlier than Gauff fought again on serve. But the 26-year-old Belarusian regained management, incomes three extra championship factors and sealing the win when Gauff double-faulted.
Sabalenka pulled stage 5-5 in her profession head-to-head with Gauff and matched Petra Kvitova’s document of three girls’s Madrid Open titles.
“Overall, there’s a lot of positives to take, but I’m obviously disappointed with maybe how I played today,” Gauff mentioned. “I feel like I could have showed up better.”
Source: www.dailysabah.com