Miami Open: Aryna Sabalenka Blasts Past Jasmine Paolini Into Final
Aryna Sabalenka cruised into her first Miami Open final with a 6-2 6-2 victory over Jasmine Paolini.
World number one Aryna Sabalenka blasted her way into the final of the Miami Open with a convincing 6-2 6-2 demolition of Italy’s Jasmine Paolini.
Sabalenka won 77% of her first-serve points, fired down six aces, saved all four break points she faced and converted four of her five break point chances against Italian sixth seed Paolini during the 71-minute match.
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The Belarusian top seed, who resides in South Florida and arrived in Miami fresh off a runner-up finish at Indian Wells, has not dropped a set in her five matches.
Up next for Sabalenka will be the winner of Thursday’s semi-final between American fourth seed Jessica Pegula and Philippine wildcard Alexandra Eala, who is coming off a stunning upset of Polish world number two Iga Swiatek.
The win earns the Belarusian, who was beaten in the Indian Wells final earlier this month by Mirra Andreeva, a place in the Miami final for the first time in her career.
“I’m super happy with the level I played today. Of course super happy to be in my first Miami Open final," said Sabalenka.
Sabalenka was never behind against Paolini, and the match was only tied twice — at 1-1 in each set. She served six aces and broke the Italian’s serve four times,
“I definitely would say that this was one of the best matches in the season so far. I don’t know. I was just so focused on myself, on the things I had to do today.
“It felt like everything was just, like, going smoothly my way," she said.
Sabalenka will be keen to banish the memory of defeat in the Indian Wells final and in the Australian Open final where she lost to Madison Keys.
“The lessons (of those defeats) was I believe focus on myself, not on what’s going on the other side," she said.
“I think in those finals I was more focusing on my opponents than on myself. I think I just have to bring the same attitude, the same mindset that I had today, I think I have to bring it in the finals," she said.
“I really feel this time I’m going to do better than I did in the last two finals," added the 26-year-old.
She is only the sixth woman to reach the finals of both stops on the American ‘Sunshine Swing’ in the same season.
(With inputs from Agencies)
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