STUTTGART • World No. 1 Ashleigh Barty earned her third WTA title this year by defeating Aryna Sabalenka in the final of Stuttgart's clay-court tournament yesterday.
After winning in Miami and a pre-Australian Open event in Melbourne on hard court, Barty added the Stuttgart title, her first tournament on clay this season, as the 2019 French Open winner gears up for Paris next month.
A day after her 25th birthday, she rallied from losing the first set to claim a 3-6, 6-0, 6-3 win over Sabalenka, who needed a medical time-out after the second set for an adductor injury.
Despite playing the third set with her right leg strapped, Sabalenka broke Barty at 3-1, but the 22-year-old failed to add Stuttgart to January's triumph in Abu Dhabi.
For the third day and match in a row, Barty lost the opening set - she had also trailed ninth-ranked and big-serving Karolina Pliskova in the quarter-finals and world No. 5 Elina Svitolina in the last four - but regrouped in impressive fashion to turn things around.
This was her 11th career title and curiously, only her second on clay, after that 2019 triumph at Roland Garros.
Belarusian Sabalenka, who had won three of her previous six matches against Barty, but lost their most recent meeting in the Miami quarter-finals this month, made a strong start yesterday.
She faced and saved three break points in the early stages of the first set before breaking her opponent to claim the opening set.
The drop shots and big serves that worked so well for Sabalenka in the first set suddenly went awry as Barty raised her game and found holes in her opponent's defence. She carved out seven break-point opportunities and steamrolled her injured rival to a stunning second-set bagel.
In the decider, Barty won the first three games - to add to the six straight she won in the previous set - and though Sabalenka gamely fought back to 3-2 while her right leg was strapped, she could not fend off a resurgent Barty.
"Get healthy, get well - you'll be back in no time," Barty wished Sabalenka at the end of an "incredible week" for the Australian, who then played the doubles final with partner Jennifer Brady. That result was not available at press time.
Sabalenka said she hopes to be fit for the tournament in Madrid, which starts on Thursday.
"I gave it my all even with the injury, but she played really well," she noted, adding she first felt the adductor tighten at the end of the opening set.
"I gave her the opportunity and she took it, she's playing really well on clay, it suits her game.
"I am just happy that I was able to play on."
AGENCE FRANCE-PRESSE
