In a match that can only be described as a masterclass, Aryna Sabalenka, a tennis titan from Belarus, obliterated Madison Keys, the No. 5 seed from the USA, in the Indian Wells final. This fierce encounter, which lasted a mere 51 minutes, witnessed Sabalenka taking her revenge on Keys in an unparalleled fashion, having been defeated by the latter in the Australian Open just a month and a half ago.
From the word go, it was Sabalenka who dominated the court, winning the first 11 games in succession to stake a commanding 6-0, 5-0 lead. The American, Keys, could only manage to win points in the fourth game of the first set and lost a break point opportunity in the first game of the second set.
On the brink of a double bagel defeat, Keys managed to salvage some pride by serving out the sixth game of the second set. This small victory was met with resounding cheers from the home crowd as Keys, hands raised to the sky, breathed a sigh of relief.
However, this minor triumph for Keys did little to disrupt Sabalenka’s momentum. The Belarusian athlete went on to win the match in the subsequent game, setting her sights on her first Indian Wells title. Sabalenka will now face off against Mirra Andreeva, who emerged victorious against Iga Swiatek in the day’s first semifinal.
Ahead of the match, Sabalenka had publicly expressed her intent to avenge her Australian Open loss. The 26-year-old world No. 1 said, “It’s only coming to my mind as motivation to get back that revenge. It was a tough match. She (Keys) played great there. I didn’t play my best, and I’m really happy that tomorrow I will have the opportunity to get this revenge back.”
And true to her words, Sabalenka didn’t just talk the talk but walked the walk, proving her mettle on the court. Now, she stands just one victory away from securing her second title of the year, a testament to her prowess and determination. This revenge match will undoubtedly go down as one of the most impressive displays of Sabalenka’s career.