Agence France-Presse
Miami, April 3: Two-time Australian Open champion Victoria Azarenka, who missed much of the past two seasons with injuries, is surely making up for lost time. The Belarusian won her third title of the year here Sunday at the WTA Miami Open. She defeated two-time Grand Slam champion Svetlana Kuznetsova of Russia 6-3, 6-2 for her third Miami hard court crown.
“I have so many great memories here,” said Azarenka. “It’s always a pleasure to come.” Azarenka, who also took the trophy in 2009 and 2011, won her 20th career title and added to a 2016 trophy haul that includes Brisbane and Indian Wells, where she beat top-ranked Serena Williams in the final two weeks ago.
“I definitely had difficulties getting back with my motivation mentally but I never had any doubt about my abilities,” Azarenka said. “The most important was to get my body healthy and to go out and get to where I am today.”
Azarenka, 26, will jump from eighth to fifth in the world rankings which will be released Monday, her first time in the top five since March 2014. Kuznetsova, 30, will rise from 19th to 13th. Azarenka broke five times in the first set, including the final game when Kuznetsova sent a forehand wide to surrender the set after 40 minutes.
In the second set, Azarenka broke at love for a 3-1 edge and denied Kuznetsova on a breakpoint in the seventh game with her only ace of the match. She then broke for a seventh time on a backhand winner, her 23rd against only eight by Kuznetsova, to end matters after 77 minutes.