AFP, Doha :
Former world number One Victoria Azarenka continued her comeback from injury on Friday in Doha by beating Venus Williams for the first time to make the Qatar Open final.
Azarenka, now ranked 48th in the world since losing most of 2014 to a foot injury, stormed back from losing the first set to brush Williams aside 2-6, 6-2, 6-4, in a thrilling semi-final watched by, among others, former England football captain David Beckham.
Twice winner of the tournament, wildcard entrant Azarenka will play the Czech Republic’s Lucie Safarova in Saturday’s final.
It was her first victory in five attempts against Williams.
The Belarussian hinted at a return to her best with her trademark thunderous baseline shots ultimately proving too much even for someone of Williams’s pedigree.
But she also mixed up her game coming to the net on several occasions, something which she admitted afterwards was a deliberate tactic.
Following a tame first set where there was no hint of what was to follow, Azarenka, 25, won seven consecutive games in the second and third sets to blow Williams away.
It was an astonishing transformation.
Williams coped with the cool and windy conditions much better earlier on and looked likely to secure her first ever final place in Qatar.
There was little hint of the trouble ahead for the American as she eased through the first set, pulling Azarenka around the court with a series of classy backhand and forehand winners.
Barely managing to hang on in the opening stages of the second set, Azarenka however transformed the match from 3-2 up in the second set, taking the consecutive games which not only secured that set but put her in control in the decider.
– powerhouse tennis –
Azarenka, who was world number one as recently as 2012, was back to some of her best powerhouse tennis which saw her not only secure two Grand Slams but also two Open titles in Doha.
She has previously won in Qatar in 2012 and 2103.
On Friday night, her confidence returned to such an extent that she was even able to head off a late charge by Williams who came back from 5-1 down to 5-4 in the final set.
Azarenka served the game out to 30 and celebrated in front of a sizeable crowd, many of whom had been rooting for her.
Afterwards she admitted she couldn’t cope with Williams in the first set.
“She was kicking my butt left and right, I didn’t know what to do,” she said.
Azarenka said she was more “aggressive” in the final two sets, including playing at the net more often.
“I had to change something and I wanted to stay aggressive. I think that is something that is helping me. My net game is becoming stronger and stronger. I want to be an even more all-round player,” she said.
Asked about the game’s transformation, Williams said Azarenka “went for broke”.
“Obviously she just went for everything and they just landed.
Sometimes that’s what happens,” she said. “It was a little bit unlucky for me that all those shots landed. They were unbelievable shots.”
She added that throughout the tournament, all her opponents were peaking.
“I felt like every player I’ve played, she’s played literally at the top of her game. It’s just one of those weeks where everybody plays amazing, so I’m hoping that in the next coming weeks it won’t be like that or it will be a long year.”
Azarenka will meet Wimbledon semi-finalist Safarova in Saturday’s final who breezed through her semi-final with Carla Suarez Navarro in straight sets.
