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Sunday, 19 February 2012

Azarenka Retains Winning Streak


Belarus's Victoria Azarenka strolled to the Qatar Open title with a 6-1 6-2 win over Australian Samantha Stosur.

The world number one and Australian Open champion showed no ill effects after twisting her right ankle in the semi-final against Agnieszka Radwanska.

Azarenka broke US Open champion Stosur twice to lead 4-1 in the first set and won the first three games of the second on the way to her 17th straight win.

"I am really proud of the way I played," said an emotional Azarenka.

"I was not 100% after my fall yesterday and I knew I had to adjust my game and everything went according to plan."

The Qatar Open was Azarenka's career 11th title, 10 of them coming on hard courts.

It also completed a remarkable 12 months for Azarenka, who lost to Daniela Hantuchova in the first round in Doha in 2011, a defeat that led her to contemplate retirement before being talked out of it by her mother and grandmother.

"Last year I lost in the first round and watched someone else lift this beautiful trophy," she added. "But now I have this for myself."