[1]Victoria Azarenka toppled World No.1 Serena Williams 2-6, 6-2, 7-6 (8/6) to claim the Cincinnati WTA title and establish herself as a contender for the US Open.
The two-and-a-half-hour epic featured multiple momentum shifts after Azarenka, the second seed from Belarus, began the afternoon with two double faults to lose the opening set in under 30 minutes.
She managed to steady herself and held on to beat the top-seeded Williams for only the third time in 15 matches. It was her second victory over the American this year, after a triumph in the final at Doha.
“What doesn’t kill you makes you stronger,” said Azarenka who earned her 17th career title and first in Cincinnati. “It was a tough match and we both fought really hard. It was an incredible week for me.
“She’s a great player,” said Serena. “There’s a reason why she’s winning Grand Slams and doing so well.
“I’m number one, she’s number two. So we have that rivalry which consists of meeting in the final, which makes it even more so exciting.”
Rafa rallies to defeat Isner
Rafael Nadal won the Cincinnati Masters for the first time on Sunday, his ninth title of 2013 lifting him to number two in the world and cementing his status as a US Open favorite.
The fourth-seeded Spaniard, whose season didn’t start until February when he returned from a seven-month injury absence, proved again the eight-time French Open champion is back in peak form after his shock first round exit at Wimbledon. He beat unseeded American John Isner 7-6 (10/8), 7-6 (7/3) to add the Cincinnati crown to the Montreal Masters title he won a week before, his first ever back-to-back hardcourt trophies.
Links:
[1] http://archive.asianage.com/s2jpg-481