Azarenka back in reckoning with Brisbane triumph

Former world number one wins first title since Cincinnati in 2013

BRISBANE: Victoria Azarenka displayed the form that could lead her to a hat-trick of Australian Open titles this month by brushing aside German fourth seed Angelique Kerber 6-3, 6-1 in the Brisbane International final on Saturday.

The former world number one has been plagued by injury over the last two years but, now ranked 22nd, she showed little sign of rust on her way to a second Brisbane crown.

The Belarusian dropped 17 games over five matches during the tournament to claim her first title since the Cincinnati Masters in August 2013.



The 26-year-old, who won her maiden Brisbane title in 2009, took control of the match against world number 10 Kerber after an early trade of breaks and peppered the court with her powerful groundstrokes.

“I’m not sure I feel relief,” Azarenka told reporters. “I wanted to win the title, but I didn’t feel that if this doesn’t happen the world is going to end.”

Azarenka won back-to-back Australian Open titles in 2012 and 2013 and has reached the US Open final twice, losing both to world number one Serena Williams.



Federer thumps Thiem to set up Raonic rematch

Swiss maestro Roger Federer reached his third successive Brisbane International final on Saturday when he crushed Dominic Thiem in a lopsided semi-final.

Federer took just 60 minutes to down the eighth-seeded Austrian 6-1, 6-4 and said afterwards it was the best he had played all week.

“I’m getting used to conditions, which is usually the case after a couple of matches,” he said. “I was very pleased with how I played. I think it was the best match of the week so far, or most consistent maybe.”



Federer lost to Lleyton Hewitt in the 2014 title-decider and beat Canadian Milos Raonic to win the title last year.

Sunday’s final will be a rematch of 2015 after the huge-serving Raonic edged local hero Bernard Tomic in two close sets.

The big-serving Raonic hit 13 aces on his way to a 7-6 (7/5), 7-6 (7/5) win in one hour, 47 minutes. 

Published in The Express Tribune, January 10^th, 2016.

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