Sabalenka comes from behind to win Brisbane International 2025
Aryna Sabalenka defeated Russian qualifier Polina Kudermetova in the final on Sunday to win her 18th tour-level title
Pat Hoelscher/AP/SIPA
Belarusian Aryna Sabalenka, the top seed, won the Brisbane Open final by beating Russian qualifier Polina Kudermetova 4-6, 6-3, 6-2 at the Queensland Tennis Centre on Sunday.
With the win, Sabalenka improved her title tally to 18.
The world No 1 faced stern resistance from Kudermetova, who surprised the former in the opening set, securing two breaks and hitting five aces.
The Russian’s effort earned her praise from the eventual champion.
“I want to congratulate Polina on an impressive week,” Sabalenka said during her victory speech. “From qualies all the way to the finals. Congrats to you and your coach… I really want to know the speed of all our shots today. I think it beat the record for sure.”
I think I was playing not bad.”
Polina Kudermetova
After the first set, Sabalenka needed to re-invent herself quickly and she succeeded, opening the second set by creating two break points in the first game. She then managed to convert two in the fifth and ninth games and drew level.
The Belarusian got her mojo back in the decider as she raced to a 5-1 with a double-break. Kudermetova recovered one in the seventh game but it proved too little too late as her opponent secured another to win the match an hour, 49 minutes.
“Congrats Aryna. Thank you for this match. It’s my first time playing a world No 1. I think I was playing not bad,” the Russian joked after the loss.
The Belarusian beat Mexican Renata Zarazua (6-4, 6-0), Kazakh Yulia Putintseva, the No 15 seed (7-6 (2), 6-4), Marie Bouzkova (6-3, 6-4) and Russian Mirra Andreeva, the No 8 seed (6-3, 6-2) ahead of her victory.
In the previous rounds of the Brisbane tournament, the 21-year-old Russian beat Chinese Wang Xinyu (6-1, 6-3), No 13 seed Liudmila Samsonova (6-7 (7), 6-3, 6-2), No 3 seed Daria Kasatkina (1-6, 6-2, 7-5), American Ashlyn Krueger (7-6 (5), 6-3) and Ukrainian Anhelina Kalinina (6-4, 6-3).
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