Victoria Azarenka poses with the trophy after defeating Svetlana Kuznetsova 6-3, 6-2 in the Miami Open women’s singles final in Key Biscayne, Florida, on Saturday. (Photo: AP)
Victoria Azarenka poses with the trophy after defeating Svetlana Kuznetsova 6-3, 6-2 in the Miami Open women’s singles final in Key Biscayne, Florida, on Saturday. (Photo: AP)
Two-time Australian Open champion Victoria Azarenka, who missed much of the past two seasons with injuries, is making up for lost time, winning her third title of the year Sunday at the WTA Miami Open.
The former world number one from Belarus beat two-time Grand Slam champion Svetlana Kuznetsova of Russia 6-3, 6-2 for her third Miami hardcourt crown.
Azarenka, who also took the trophy in 2009 and 2011, won her 20th career title and added to a 2016 trophy haul that includes Brisbane and Indian Wells, where she beat top-ranked Serena Williams in the final two weeks ago.
Azarenka became only the third woman to sweep the Miami-Indian Wells double in the same season, after Steffi Graf in 1994 and 1996 and Kim Clijsters in 2005.
Azarenka, 26, will jump from eighth to fifth in the world rankings on Monday, her first time in the top five since March 2014. Kuznetsova, 30, will rise from 19th to 13th.
Azarenka broke five times in the first set, including the final game when her Russian opponent Kuznetsova sent a forehand wide to surrender the set after 40 minutes.
