TENNIS DOHA – Lucie Safarova clinched the biggest title of her career beating Viktoria Azarenka in the final of the Qatar Total Open. For the Czech player it was the first Premier-level title of her career. Diego Sampaolo
Lucie Safarova clinched the biggest title of her career beating Viktoria Azarenka in the final of the Qatar Total Open. For the Czech player it was the first Premier-level title of her career.
Safarova crowned a magic week in which she knocked out three top-ten seeds Ekaterina Makarova, Andrea Petkovic and Carla Suarez Navarro before beating former World Number 1 Azarenka in the final.
Safarova broke serve in the fourth game of the first set to take a 3-1 lead en route to winning the first set with 6-4. The Czech player opened up a 3-1 lead in the second set before wrapping up the match with 6-3 in the second set. Safarova broke Azarenka’s winning streak of 14 consecutive match wins, including two titles in a row in 2012 and 2013. Service was the key for Safarova who hit seven aces in eight service games.
Safarova has won the biggest title so far in her career after clinching her five previous International-level titles in Oeiras in 2005, Gold Coast in 2006, Forest Hills in 2005 and 2008 and Quebec City in 2013. After his triumph in Doha she will move up from 15th to a career-high 11th in the WTA Ranking.
