Sabalenka crowned Adelaide champion without dropping a set
Aryna Sabalenka won the tournament on Sunday against Linda Noskova
Tennis – Adelaide International – Memorial Drive Tennis Club, Adelaide, Australia – January 8, 2023 Belarus’ Aryna Sabalenka poses with the trophy after winning the final match against Czech Republic’s Linda Noskova (AI/Reuters/Panoramic)
Belarusian Aryna Sabalenka, the second seed, won the Adelaide International 1 tournament by beating Czech qualifier Linda Noskova 6-3, 7-6 (4) at the Memorial Drive Tennis Park on Sunday.
Sabalenka did not drop a set all week en route to her 11th title – her first since Madrid 2021. She reached three finals last season but lost all of them.
Sabalenka has now won 24 of her last 25 matches against players ranked outside the top 100 – although Noskova’s exploits this week will see her rise to within the top 60 when the next WTA rankings are released.
Sabalenka, ranked No 5, defeated Russian Liudmila Samsonova (7-6 (8), 7-6 (3)), Czech Marketa Vondrousova (6-3, 7-5) and Romanian Irina-Camelia Begu (6-3, 6-2) in the previous rounds of the Adelaide 1 tournament.
Earlier in the tournament, Noskova, ranked No 102, defeated Russian Daria Kasatkina, the No 3 seed (6-3, 6-7 (2), 6-3), American qualifier Claire Liu (6-2, 6-2), Belarusian Victoria Azarenka (6-4, 6-7 (3), 7-6 (6)) and Tunisian Ons Jabeur, the top seed (6-3, 1-6, 6-3).
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