Sabalenka Defeats Pegula to Clinch Miami Open Title
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TroibNews 
World number one Aryna Sabalenka claimed the Miami Open title on Saturday, defeating American Jessica Pegula with a score of 7-5, 6-2 at Hard Rock Stadium in this WTA 1000 event.
This victory marks the Belarusian's first title in Miami and her second of the season, following her earlier win in Brisbane in January.
After losing to 17-year-old Russian Mirra Andreeva in the Indian Wells final earlier this month, Sabalenka was eager to avoid another disappointment in a championship match.
"I'm super happy to have this trophy, I was able to play my best tennis in the final," Sabalenka said, acknowledging Pegula's performance after successfully repeating her victory over her from last year's US Open final.
Both competitors faced challenges in maintaining their serves during the first set, which featured seven breaks of serve. Pegula posed some difficulties for Sabalenka, especially when she brought her to the net. However, the tide turned when Pegula served to stay in the set at 6-5. Sabalenka stepped up her game, delivering a delicate forehand drop shot followed by an impressive down-the-line winner to clinch the set.
After recovering from an early break in her first service game of the second set, Sabalenka found her rhythm. Earlier in the year, her pursuit of a third consecutive Australian Open title had been halted in the final by Madison Keys.
Sabalenka broke Pegula's serve twice to secure a 3-1 lead and maintained control of the match, completing the victory in one hour and 27 minutes. In her last 14 encounters with top 10 players, Sabalenka achieved 12 victories. She attributed her success in pivotal moments to her strong performance.
"It is all about those key moments of the match, about playing aggressive and staying with the game plan, going for shots without being afraid of losing the point," Sabalenka added.
This match marked the third time Pegula faced Sabalenka in a final, and she has been unsuccessful in all three attempts.
Navid Kalantari for TROIB News
This victory marks the Belarusian's first title in Miami and her second of the season, following her earlier win in Brisbane in January.
After losing to 17-year-old Russian Mirra Andreeva in the Indian Wells final earlier this month, Sabalenka was eager to avoid another disappointment in a championship match.
"I'm super happy to have this trophy, I was able to play my best tennis in the final," Sabalenka said, acknowledging Pegula's performance after successfully repeating her victory over her from last year's US Open final.
Both competitors faced challenges in maintaining their serves during the first set, which featured seven breaks of serve. Pegula posed some difficulties for Sabalenka, especially when she brought her to the net. However, the tide turned when Pegula served to stay in the set at 6-5. Sabalenka stepped up her game, delivering a delicate forehand drop shot followed by an impressive down-the-line winner to clinch the set.
After recovering from an early break in her first service game of the second set, Sabalenka found her rhythm. Earlier in the year, her pursuit of a third consecutive Australian Open title had been halted in the final by Madison Keys.
Sabalenka broke Pegula's serve twice to secure a 3-1 lead and maintained control of the match, completing the victory in one hour and 27 minutes. In her last 14 encounters with top 10 players, Sabalenka achieved 12 victories. She attributed her success in pivotal moments to her strong performance.
"It is all about those key moments of the match, about playing aggressive and staying with the game plan, going for shots without being afraid of losing the point," Sabalenka added.
This match marked the third time Pegula faced Sabalenka in a final, and she has been unsuccessful in all three attempts.
Navid Kalantari for TROIB News
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