Badosa, historic champion for Spanish tennis in Indian Wells

• Narration and statistics This is how we live the grand final live

Paula Badosa

completed the most important feat of her career in

, the same one that no Spanish tennis player had been able to do until now.

was close twice - the last in 1996 - but it was not possible. Badosa, who was the 90th in the world last year, managed to score the Californian WTA 1000 in an epic three-hour battle against one of the great rackets of the circuit,

. The milestone is already in the history books of Spanish tennis.

The 23-year-old Spaniard was brave in the decisive moments and better than her rival down the stretch. She saved a handful of decisive balls and was not intimidated by the determination of the Belarusian or by the greatness of the moment. Not even when it seemed out of the game, nor in the tiebreak of the final set (7-2), three hours after starting to drop rackets. "This is a dream come true," said the champion after lifting the trophy, calling her rival an inspiration and an example. "I wouldn't be here without women like you."

Azarenka

, winner of this tournament in 2012 and 2016, came out determined to impose her stripes from the beginning, taking advantage of the Spanish nerves in her first final of a WTA 1,000.

She forced the first break points over the first game serving Badosa, who withstood the 32-year-old veteran's attacks as best she could.

Up to 16 times he had to serve to score the game.

Badosa didn't wait to strike back, confident in her options.

The next game lasted eight minutes with Azarenka serving.

It was a very intense duel from the beginning, a fight of muscle and power from the back of the court.

Each game was a little drama under a blazing sun in the Californian desert.

A final based on rackets

Even so, the Spanish never stopped believing in the dream.

He raised his tennis a step and based on right hands and the forcefulness of his backhand was hitting the formula.

He broke in the seventh game (4-3) and again in the eleventh (6-5), clenching his teeth to put himself in a position to take half a game.

He had it in his hand but hesitated with a point in the network that was already hers with 30 equals, a moment of weakness that the winner of three Grand Slams took advantage of to prolong the drama until sudden death.

The outcome was up to the task.

It was a roller coaster.

Badosa let out a 4-0 and give wings to the warrior spirit of Azarenka, who with 5-5 believed in the comeback.

But again he pulled on mental strength and found the prize on his first set point.

The effort took its toll on starting the second round.

The Belarusian came out enraged and endorsed her rival 3-0 in less than ten minutes.

He had left.

The New Yorker of Catalan parents managed to return a break but it was a mirage.

The second set was as short-lived as it was predictable almost from the beginning, 32 minutes compared to 78 in the first.

Badosa

managed to compose himself and get back into the game.

The break in the second game seemed decisive before

decided to announce that he still had energy left in the tank, enough to turn the decisive manga into another epic soap opera.

The Spanish hesitated and seemed defeated with 5-4, but managed to get out of the hole, break once more, reach the tiebreak and touch the sky of the Californian desert.

According to the criteria of The Trust Project

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