By Richard Pagliaro | Sunday, March 20, 2016
Scanning the strings of her racquet as if searching for solutions to the problems that pained her, Serena Williams looked up to confront a defiant Victoria Azarenka.
The world No. 1 smashed a pair of racquets in the second set, but couldn't crack Azarenka's commitment to the cause.
Azarenka: Winning Majors More Important Than Top Ranking
A stubborn Azarenka staved off 10 of 11 break points then held off a late charge dispatching Williams 6-4, 6-4, to capture her second career Indian Wells championship.
The 15th-ranked Belarusian served boldly on big points, defended with vigor and out-hustled Williams for much of the match handing the 21-time Grand Slam champion just her second career loss in 25 career main-draw matches here.
"I had no doubt in my mind that I would do everything I can (to close)," Azarenka told ESPN's Pam Shriver afterward. "I couldn't control how she was going to play. She was throwing some bombs there at the end, but the only way to win is to keep believing, keep staying strong. I just wanted to give it my all and it worked."
It was Azarenka's 19th career title and a monumental victory.
Azarenka defeated Williams for the first time in two-and-a-half years and will return to the Top 10 for the first time since August, 2014, when the new WTA rankings are released tomorrow. Azarenka is projected to rise to No. 8 in the new rankings.
More importantly, she solidified her status as Williams' top rival. The former world No. 1 became the first woman to defeat Williams in four finals, while denying Serena her 70th title.
When closing time came today, an aggressive Azarenka didn't shrink from the moment.
"I just want to keep going. I just want to keep going," Azarenka said. "I want to keep improving myself as a player. I was very, I would say, brave to go for things that I haven't maybe done as much before in the matches.
"I was more aggressive. I started to use my serve the way I wanted to use my serve. Sometimes it doesn't work necessarily, like couple of matches this week. But having that big goal in mind and going after it, that's something that makes the momentum shift on the big stages."
Playing the Indian Wells final for the first time since she beat Kim Clijsters in a controversial 2001 final marred by boos and jeers by some members of the crowd, the top seed struggled to tame her a wild forehand, crack Azarenka's serve and maintain her nerve. Despite all that frustration, she still made an inspired late run rallying from a set and 0- 4 down before Azarenka halted the uprising.
"It was really hard, the last moment I had (here) wasn't the greatest moment so thank you so much," a tearful Serena told the crowd. "Thank you so much for the cheers. I can't tell you how much it means to me. I can't begin to tell you so thank you. Many congrats to Vika for a such a great win."
It was the second straight final loss for Williams, who fell to Angelique Kerber in the Australian Open final. Williams has won 30 of her last 34 finals with three of those losses coming to Azarenka—the 2013 Doha final, 2013 Cincinnati final and today.
It was the 21st career clash between the pair—older sister Venus is the only opponent Serena has faced more than Vika—and the pressure of the occasion restricted Serena at the start.
The top seed spit up two double faults in a sluggish four-error game donating the break in the opening game. Azarenka backed up the break at 30 before Williams bounced back with a two-ace hold at love.
"I was definitely a little nervous," Serena said. "I did not expect to be, at all, like zero, and then when I walked out there I was like, 'Oh, man, I'm really nervous.' "Yeah, and really excited. Those emotions I had a little bit last year I was having again. Definitely did not expect that. But with that being said, you know, you can't be nervous the whole match."
Explosiveness arrived in the fifth game when Williams clocked a tremendous running forehand pass, sliding into a split to cap an eye-popping shot as she held for 2-3.
Exuding positive energy, Azarenka continually pumped herself up yelling "come on!" after key exchanges. Williams amped up the aggression, but Azarenka played the big points better. She fought off a pair of break points for 4-2 then dug in and denied three more break points holding for 5-3.
The top seed changed direction effectively to open the court, but flattened out her forehand too much trying to end points prematurely. Williams hit eight forehand errors, most of those expiring into net, through eight games.
A confident Azarenka singed the service line for triple set point. When Williams bashed a backhand into net, Azarenka erupted with another "come on!". For the third straight meeting, she snatched a one-set lead.
Superior serving helped Serena win 17 of their prior 20 meetings, but Vika served with authority today. Azarenka dropped just six points on her first serve. She rapped biting second serves preventing Williams from taking clean strikes on several of those 11 break points.
Misery continued for Williams, who double-faulted to gift the opening break of the second set. Serving aggressively and defending defiantly when pushed, Azarenka fought off three more break points to back-up the break.
When Williams sailed another forehand to fall into an 0-3 hole, she had seen enough.
Spiking her Wilson Blade to the court, Williams plopped down in her court-side seat and channeled her inner Marcos Baghdatis breaking another racquet without even removing it from its plastic wrapper and tossing it over her shoulder like a woman ridding herself of a bad memory.
That double dose of destruction earned Williams a point penalty for racquet abuse and put her on the edge of elimination. Azarenka slammed successive love holds stretching the lead to 5-1.
Serving for her first win over her rival in two-and-a-half years, Azarenka blinked. A pair of double faults and a looped backhand from the tight Belarusian give Williams her first break on her 10th break point for 3-5.
When Williams blasted a 97 mph forehand return and earned a couple of break points in the 10th game it seemed ghosts from past collapses would haunt Azarenka, who had blown one-set leads over Williams at Roland Garros and Wimbledon last year.
Azarenka was in no mood to squander opportunities today.
Despite that forehand blast, she went right back to targeting the Williams forehand, drawing successive forehand return errors to close a dynamic win in 88 minutes.