Stuttgart (Germany) (AFP)
The Australian Ashleigh Barty, world No. 1, won the Stuttgart tournament on Sunday, beating the Belarusian Aryna Sabalenka (7th in the WTA rankings) in three sets 3-6, 6-0, 6-3 in the final.
Barty won the day after her 25th birthday, winning her third title of the year, the eleventh of her career, just over a month before the start of Roland-Garros, where she had won her first tournament of the Grand Slam in 2019.
After winning the Miami and Melbourne tournaments this year, Barty is therefore continuing his preparation for Roland-Garros (May 30-June 13) as best he can.
The Australian, who alternately eliminated Czech Karolina Pliskova (N.9) in the quarter-finals and Ukraine's Elina Svitolina (N.5) in the semi-final, had to fight again after losing the first set for take the best out of Sabalenka.
"I had an incredible week," admitted Barty, the first world No. 1 to win in Stuttgart since Belgium's Justine Hénin in 2007.
The Belarusian who had dominated Saturday in the semi-final the Romanian Simona Halep (N.3), 6-3, 6-2, lost his footing due to his unforced errors (39), including 14 in the only second set.
Sabalenka had to call the doctor after the second set lost 6-0, for leg pain.
Despite a strapping, the Belarusian tried to stand up to Barty, taking her serve at 3-1, but the 22-year-old ultimately had to surrender.
"I gave everything I had, even being injured, but she played the shot very well (...) She took her chance, she plays very well on clay," she said. highlighted.
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