Tennis news - Aryna Sabalenka downs Petra Kvitova to win sixth career title
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Updated 29/02/2020 at 19:31 GMT
Aryna Sabalenka has beaten Petra Kvitova to win her sixth career WTA title, and her third at Premier 5-level events.
Aryna Sabalenka of Belarus celebrates with the trophy after victory against Petra Kvitova of Czech Republic in the Singles Final match on Day 7 of the WTA Qatar Total Open 2020 at Khalifa International Tennis and Squash Complex on February 29, 2020 in Doh
Image credit: Getty Images
Facing her toughest test yet at the tournament in the form of the double ex-Wimbledon champion, Sabalenka ended the Czech's 10-match winning streak at the event with a 6-3, 6-3 victory.
"I couldn't really expect the title for the first time in Doha," she said after the win.
"I'm really happy, it feels so special for me," she said. "I was really focused on each point, and played every point like the last point and like I'm actually losing...
"I respect [Kvitova], I knew she is a big fighter, I know she will bring everything she have on this final. I tried to focus on each point because I knew that she will try to come back in the game and she will try to beat me."
For her part, Kvitova paid tribute to Sabalenka for making it hard for her to play her game.
"I wasn't playing probably what I wanted to, but she didn't give me anything to play my game," she said.
"Aryna played amazing match. For sure she didn't give me anything for free, I had a chance once in the second set to break her serve, but I just couldn't make it. But it was very tight game and probably that's really helped her to win the second set."
This extends Sabalenka's excellent form at Premier 5 events, having won in Wuhan at the tail end of 2019.
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