The Belarusian beats Coco in 3 sets (6-2 4-6 6-3), who had beaten her in the final at the last Roland Garros and repeats the triumph in Florida a year ago, after also winning Indian Wells
Aryna Sabalenka had a bad tooth after the Roland Garros final, where she surrendered to Coco Gauff after too many wasted opportunities. And he didn’t fail to underline it, first in words but then also by letting the field dare to give reality to his words, with two victories in a row over the American. The second of which arrived tonight, in the final at the WTA 1000 in Miami, won for the second year in a row, the first to do so by Serena Williams in the three-year period 2013-2015. The final score in favor of the Belarusian was 6-2 4-6 6-3, with Aryna very precise on serve from the first game. And above all she is lucid in regaining her level in the third set after collapsing in the last game of the second.
the match
—
From the first lines we see a super aggressive Sabalenka, determined to command the exchange in a humid climate, albeit with not too much sun. In fact, the break came immediately, already in the first game, with Gauff appearing quite nervous. The serve is often the weapon that works the least for the WTA n.4. Once the break has been made, Aryna leaves no room for Gauff to return, who soon suffers a double break, surrendering 6-2 in just 38 minutes. A partial in which the world no.1 wins 79% of points with the first, and above all without granting even a break point. In the second set, however, the script changes, and Gauff saves three break points that could have been decisive. Accelerating and trying not to give Sabalenka time to push from the back, who can be dangerous when standing still. And so, in the tenth game, a couple of timid second seconds and avoidable errors with Aryna’s backhand allow Gauff to find the break and unexpectedly win the set, forcing the decisive set.
solidity
—
Sabalenka, however, is No. 1 in the world, and not by chance. And the greater experience compared to Gauff (who however won 11 of the previous 14 finals played before this one) made the difference. Coco commits two double faults in the first game of the decisive set, granting the Belarusian the tenth break point of the match. Which soon turns into the advantage in the third set in his favor, which smacks of a ruling. From then on Aryna returns to have the inertia of the match on her side, conceding little in response to Gauff and once again having the ball in the exchange. With a fairly warm crowd, which the referee is also forced to call back on a couple of occasions, we then move forward on the service tracks. Until the ninth game, where the Belarusian decides to accelerate and, with a cry of liberation, vents her satisfaction after Gauff’s missed backhand which gives her the second 1000 of the season. And above all it allows Sabalenka to complete the Sunshine Double. A victory which, in the event of Sinner’s triumph against Lehecka, would make the Italian and the world no.1 the first to complete the Sunshine Double in the same season at both men’s and women’s level since 2016, when Azarenka and Djokovic did it by winning Indian Wells and Miami.
© ALL RIGHTS RESERVED
