Masters 1.000
The tennis player becomes the first Spanish to win the American tournament, her first great title
What no Spanish had achieved before did Paula Badosa. Conchita Martínez stayed one step away from glory on two occasions (1992 and 1996) and Badosa, in her first opportunity, the first time she played the final draw of the tournament, ended up wrapped in tears and with the champion trophy after a battle of more than three hours against the Belarusian Victoria Azarenka (7-6 (5), 2-6 and 7-6 (2)).
Indian Wells crowned a Badosa, the most important title of his sports career, the second of his life after the one he conquered in Belgrade also this season, a dream in which he has gone from hovering around the 100th place in the ranking to rub shoulders with the 15 best in the world. This Monday will be number 11 in the WTA classification, the best position of her life and that gives her the opportunity to go to the Masters tournament in Guadalajara.
To earn this right, she had to beat a much more experienced Azarenka, with 40 finishes behind her for just one from Paula, with 20 titles in her pocket, and with two championships here in the Coachella desert. An Azarenka who, at 32 years old, and once her motherhood and her disputes for the custody of her child are over, has been reborn as a tennis player capable of anything and who already reached the final of the US Open last year.
But Badosa, pure talent, does not shrink in pressure situations. She played an hour and 20 of the first set to take advantage against Azarenak in a crazy ‘tie break’ in which the Belarusian recovered a 4-0 against to end up giving up the set in a hellish exchange.
The equality was such that in that first set both players had won the same number of points: 55.
Badosa, after the mental effort, hit a drop in intensity and Azarenka took advantage of it to take a much less exciting second set. He saved strength for the third, where the tennis exploded. It peaked and showed a final of an exquisite level, with alternatives, maximum speed exchanges and a resistant Badosa, which was two points away from losing the match and the crown.
Azarenka served for the championship at 5-4 and went 30-0. The Spanish took the next four points and avoided defeat. And he no longer took his foot off the gas. This time there were no scares in the tiebreaker. 5-1 up, with three winners of great invoice and nerve, in a moment of maximum tension, and a sealed title at the first opportunity.
He threw himself to the ground, burst into tears and climbed into the stands to hug his coach and his partner. First Spanish to triumph in Indian Wells, joining Pepe Higueras, Álex Corretja and Rafael Nadal in the track record and adding the first major title to her track record. The first of many.
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