World No. 1 Aryna Sabalenka showcased her dominance at the Miami Open, securing her first-ever final appearance with a commanding 6-2, 6-2 win over No. 6 seed Jasmina Paolini on Thursday at Hard Rock Stadium. Sabalenka maintained a perfect service record throughout the match, advancing to her 12th WTA 1000 final.
For Sabalenka, who resides in South Florida, Miami is practically a home tournament. She mentioned enjoying the comforts of home during the competition. Despite this local advantage, previous Miami Opens held at both Key Biscayne and Miami Gardens only saw her reach the quarterfinals twice in six attempts.
This year marks a breakthrough. Following her quarterfinal victory over No. 9 seed Zheng Qinwen, Sabalenka faced Paolini and continued her winning streak. The three-time major champion has now won her last three encounters with the Italian player without dropping a set, paving her way to the final she has long desired.
Sabalenka was in control from the start against Paolini, with the score only briefly tied at 1-1 in both sets. She fired six aces, broke Paolini`s serve four times, and clinched the victory in just 1 hour and 11 minutes. She now awaits the winner of the match between No. 4 seed Jessica Pegula and teenage wild card Alexandra Eala of the Philippines for Saturday`s final.
Notably, Sabalenka`s journey to the Miami final makes her only the sixth player in the last 20 years to reach the finals of both Indian Wells and Miami in the same season, a feat previously accomplished by tennis stars like Kim Clijsters (2005), Maria Sharapova (multiple times), Victoria Azarenka (2016), Iga Swiatek (2022), and Elena Rybakina (2023). Sabalenka was a finalist at Indian Wells, losing to Mirra Andreeva.
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Jasper Hawthorne 
Dominic Ashworth