Aryna Sabalenka claimed the Miami Open title yesterday with a hard-fought 6-2, 4-6, 6-3 triumph over American rival Coco Gauff at Hard Rock Stadium.
The victory saw the world number one complete the prestigious Sunshine Double, having also won at Indian Wells earlier this month.
Saturday’s final between the pair proved characteristically dramatic, continuing their pattern of intense encounters on court.
The Belarusian and Gauff have developed a fierce rivalry, with the American having previously defeated Sabalenka in two Grand Slam finals.
This time, however, the four-time major champion emerged victorious despite a challenging atmosphere from the partisan Florida crowd.
Sabalenka dominated the opening set, racing through it 6-2 with relative ease against her opponent.
Yet Gauff, playing on home turf and even commuting to the tournament from her Florida residence, refused to surrender.
The American demonstrated her trademark resilience, dragging the world number one into a gruelling battle as the match progressed.
Aryna Sabalenka claimed the Miami Open title yesterday with a hard-fought 6-2, 4-6, 6-3 triumph over American rival Coco Gauff at Hard Rock Stadium
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In the second set, Gauff found her rhythm and secured a crucial break in the 10th game to level the contest at one set apiece, winning it 6-4.
The momentum shift set up a tense decider, with Sabalenka immediately responding by breaking Gauff’s serve in the opening game of the third.
The crowd’s enthusiasm occasionally crossed boundaries during the tense decider.
With Sabalenka serving at 3-2, a spectator yelled “Out!” during a rally, prompting Australian umpire Tom Sweeney to respond drily: “We don’t need you to make calls, we have computers to do that.”
The victory saw the world number one complete the prestigious Sunshine Double, having also won at Indian Wells earlier this month
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Sweeney also issued Sabalenka a code violation for an audible obscenity during the fraught third set.
The following game brought further intervention, with the umpire warning he would remove disruptive supporters.
Sweeney cautioned: “Please, ladies and gentlemen, we’ve come this far. Let’s let the players serve. Do not shout out during the serve. Please, if you want to stay, please stop shouting,”
Despite the umpire warning, Sabalenka maintained her composure to secure the third set 6-3 and lift the trophy.
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During her victory speech, the champion addressed the spectator who had disrupted play.
Sabalenka said: “I don’t know where you are That lady that yelled, that hoped for the ‘out’.
“I shouldn’t be that rude, but come on, you cannot do that, you know? So let’s agree we were both wrong, so sorry.”
She concluded by expressing gratitude to those in attendance: “And thank you, guys, for an incredible atmosphere, you always bring incredible vibes and a full stadium for our final, thank you so much.”
