Doha, Qatar (Sports Network) - Maybe Victoria Azarenka should still be ranked
No. 1 after all.
Azarenka will lose her spot as the world's top-ranked women's tennis player on
Monday, eclipsed by Serena Williams. However, it was the outgoing No. 1 who
prevailed Sunday in the final of the Qatar Open with a hard-fought, 7-6 (8-6),
2-6, 6-3 victory over the incoming No. 1.
Williams certainly has the resume to be the new No. 1, winning the last two
Grand Slam championships of 2012 and the Olympics. She was guaranteed to be
the new No. 1 on Monday after her quarterfinal win on Friday.
However, Azarenka is no slouch. She did capture her second straight Australian
Open title last month and Sunday's victory over Williams gave the Belarusian
star a 14-0 match record to start the year. Her only "loss" in 2013 came via
walkover when she withdrew before a semifinal against Williams at the Aussie
Open tune-up in Brisbane because of a toe injury.
Azarenka's win Sunday snapped a nine-match losing streak against Williams and
gave her a 2-11 lifetime mark against the American star. Her only previous
victory came in the 2009 Miami final, a 6-3, 6-1 triumph.
The Sports Network