World No.1 Aryna Sabalenka showcased her resilience as she overcame a spirited challenge from qualifier Polina Kudermetova to secure her first Brisbane International title with a 4-6, 6-3, 6-2 victory.
Kudermetova, ranked 107th in the world, stunned the crowd by taking the opening set and looked poised to extend her remarkable run, having already won seven matches in nine days. However, Sabalenka found her footing in the second set and steadily regained control, ultimately denying Kudermetova’s fairy tale ending.
The opening set saw Kudermetova prevail 6-4 after a back-and-forth battle.
Sabalenka weathered an early scare in the second set, falling behind 1-2 before breaking Kudermetova in the fifth game to shift the momentum. Another break later in the set helped Sabalenka close it out 6-3, forcing a decisive third set.
Finding her rhythm, Sabalenka surged to a commanding 3-0 lead in the final set. Although Kudermetova managed to break back as Sabalenka served for the match, the Belarusian swiftly regrouped and sealed the victory in the next game. The hard-fought match lasted one hour and 47 minutes.
Sabalenka now sets her sights on the Australian Open, aiming to become the first woman to win three consecutive titles at the tournament since Martina Hingis achieved the feat from 1997 to 1999. The women’s singles draw begins on Sunday, January 12, with Sabalenka entering as the top favorite.