Tennis: Paula Badosa ousts Victoria Azarenka, wins Indian Wells title
New Delhi: Spanish tennis player Paula Badosa ousted Belarusian Victoria Azarenka 7-6 (5), 2-6, 7-6 (2) in a 3-set final to win the Indian Wells Women’s Singles title at the BNP Paribas Open 2021 in California on Monday.
Badosa won her first breakpoint and led the opening set before Azarenka equaled scores at 4-4 and pushed the set into a tight tie-breaker. She used her aces and gained a point 5-4 against Badosa’s constant forehand smashes.
However, Azarenka’s unforced error gave her dominating opponent a point. Badosa won the hour-long set 7-6(5).
Despite losing the grueling first set, Azarenka looked calm and led the second set with a 3-0. The two-time Australian Open winner tactfully gained points as a visibly exhausted Badosa tried to keep up.
Badosa used her backhand while the Belarusian gained aces and won the set by 2-6.
The final set was an intense match, as both Badosa and Azarenka were determined to win the set in their favor. Azarenka reached a breakpoint and gave 2 of the longest serves before Badosa equaled the score and pushed the game to another tie-breaker.
The two equally powerful players refused to budge in the decider as they kept defending their points from their opponent’s serves.
However, an exhausted Azarenka eventually committed a net error and double faults and lost 4 out of 5 points in the tie-breaker. Badosa won the set and the title by 7-6(5) in set 3.
Meanwhile, British player Cameron Norrie won the Men’s Singles Indian Wells title on Monday against Georgian player Nikoloz Basilashvili.
(Avya Mathur)
