Azarenka wins Qatar Total Open

H H Sheikha Moza bint Nasser crowned Victoria Azarenka of Belarus who won the Qatar Total Open tennis tournament

 

Azarenka showed no signs of discomfort from her overnight injury scare in the semi-finals against Agnieszka Radwanska by beating a listless Stosur, the US Open champion, 6-1, 6-2 in a one-sided final. 

The Qatar Open was Azarenka’s 11th title, 10 of them coming on hard courts, as she maintained her perfect record against the Australian who she has beaten in five career clashes beginning in 2008, with none of the matches going to three sets. 

Yesterday’s win also completed a remarkable 12 months for Azarenka who lost to Daniela Hantuchova in the first round in Doha in 2011, a defeat that led her to contemplate retirement before being talked out of it by her mother and grandmother. 

“I am really proud of the way I played today,” said Azarenka, fighting back tears. “I was not 100% after my fall (on Saturday) and I knew I had to adjust my game and everything went according to plan.” Stosur, who was playing her first final of the year, was bidding for her fourth title, but Azarenka was too good for the world number five despite rarely hitting top gear.