Aryna Sabalenka has lifted the Adelaide International trophy in a perfect Australian Open tune-up, one year after sobbing on the same court while suffering through a severe case of serving yips.
The powerful Belarusian revealed a new outlook after her semi-final that transpired from her dramatic Australian summer 12 months ago, including hitting 39 double faults across two losses at both Adelaide events.
Aryna Sabalenka with the trophy after defeating Linda Noskova in the final.Credit:Getty Images
Sabalenka’s ability to play through those woes and still make the fourth round at the 2022 Australian Open was a turning point for someone who too often is “crazy about everything”.
There were few complications on Sunday – in fact, her serve was a decisive factor in victory – as the leading Australian Open title contender completed her flawless week with a 6-3, 7-6 (7-4) win over teenage Czech qualifier Linda Noskova.
Sabalenka hammered an extraordinary 44 winners and won 29 of 31 first-serve points as she secured her 11th WTA singles title and first in almost two years.
“I want to congratulate this young lady [Noskova] on an amazing week, and your team, of course,” Sabalenka said in her winner’s speech.
Aryna Sabalenka plays a backhand on the way to victory.Credit:AP
“I think you have a bright future and 100 per cent there are going to be many more finals for us, so congrats on a great week.
“The second thing I want to say is thank you to my team for being here today and everything [you do] … it’s been an amazing week and I’ve enjoyed every second.”
It is the third time in Sabalenka’s career that she will enter the Australian Open off a January title, but her best result remains her round-of-16 appearances in the last two years.
Noskova, 18, the youngest player in 14 years to reach a WTA 500 level final or better, beat top-10 stars Daria Kasatkina and Ons Jabeur, and dual Australian Open champion Victoria Azarenka to earn her shot at Sabalenka.
The newest Czech sensation will climb from No.102 in the rankings to inside the top 60 but will still have to head straight to Melbourne to try to qualify for the Australian Open.
Linda Noskova showed her quality in the decider.Credit:Getty Images
As for fifth-ranked Sabalenka, her eyes are firmly focused on succeeding Australia’s Ash Barty as Melbourne Park women’s champion.
She has made three grand slam semi-finals in her past five majors, including at her last one at the US Open, on top of upsetting world No.1 Iga Swiatek to reach the decider at last year’s WTA Finals.
Sabalenka looms as arguably Swiatek’s greatest danger as the Polish superstar chases a maiden Australian Open championship.
The unflappable Noskova did little wrong in Sunday’s final and even had a break point for a 5-3 second-set lead, only for Sabalenka to crunch two backhands – the first barely clearing the net, then the second for an emphatic winner.
The No.2 seed hit one of her 12 aces to escape the game before it was Noskova’s turn to go into survival mode as Sabalenka belted a flurry of winners but could not quite break her rival’s resistance.
After a series of competitive games, the second set deservedly went to a tie-breaker but by then Noskova was starting to barely hang on – and double faults were getting her into trouble.
That carried into the tie-breaker, where the rising star double-faulted on the first and fifth points, which proved problematic with Sabalenka already taking over from the baseline.
Sabalenka double-faulted on her first match point before sending down another big serve to clinch her triumph.
“It was a really tough match today. Aryna played super well,” Noskova said.
“I just want to thank my team, my coach, my family at home for supporting me all along, and to all the sponsors for making this tournament so memorable for me.”
