After a cloudy period in which she played briefly, sustained numerous small "injuries," and lost to some not-so-difficult opponents, Victoria Azarenka rebounded in style, edging world No.1 and arch-rival, Serena Williams, to claim the Cincinnati crown. It was a really intense battle, with Vika showing nerves of steel and fierce determination to regroup after a nightmare first set to deliver a superb 2-6,6-2,7-6 victory.
Serena was majestic in the opening act, winning it in 26 minutes. The American's game crumbled at the beginning of the second set though, and Azarenka put forth a solid display to level the dispute. She also held the upper hand in the decider, sprinting in front to go 4-2 up. In true Serena style, she came back firing on all cylinders to break straight back, before serving for the title at 5-4. Vika was not ready to walk away so easily though. She came up with some incredible shots to push the final into a decisive tiebreak. Although she got lucky in the end, all credit goes to the Belorussian for remaining mentally tough to close out the win. And what a win this can prove to be. With the US Open one week away, the Cincinnati success should give her the best boost ahead of the last Slam of the year.
"Obviously a big win," she said. "It was a great match. I'm really, really pleased with the way I pulled it out. It was a great battle. Nothing was given away. It was pure fight. I'm really happy. The important thing is how I adjusted after the first set. I really stepped it up. I was fighting hard and changed my game and I just have to take that into consideration the next time we play against each other, to try to be there right from the beginning, because it's crucial. You don't want to give any chances at any point because Serena is such an incredible player that she will take everything."
Last year the two met in the Flushing Meadows final, with Vika serving for the title at 5-3 up in the decider. What followed was a complete meltdown from the then world No.1, who gifted Williams her 15th major silverware. Since that hearth-breaking defeat though, the Belorussian made sure she sees no history repeating. She overcame Williams in two nail-biter encounters, both in finals, at Doha, respectively now in Cincinnati. The American did crushed Azarenka for the Rome title, but still, it is clear that Victoria is closing in the gap rapidly. I stay strong by my opinion that the Belorussian is probably the only player on the tour that can challenge Serena on a regular basis. She has the strokes, the sharp returns, and most important, she is strong enough mentally and not intimidated by her opponent's resume. Go Vika #letswintheusopen!
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| Vika showed she can challenge world No.1, Serena Williams, overcoming the American in a nail-biter 2-6,6-2,7-6 to win the Cincinnati Open. This is Azarenka's second victory over her arch-rival in finals in 2013. |
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| "Furious" Azarenka was in for some heavy celebration at the awards ceremony. |
photos: GETTY IMAGES
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