By Chris Oddo | @TheFanChild | Saturday January 15, 2022
Paula Badosa claimed her third career title, edging Barbora Krejcikova in a third-set tiebreak in the Sydney final.
Photo Source: Getty Images
What a difference a year makes. Two players that started the 2021 season outside of the Top-60 sent a reminder to the tennis world that they are very much card carrying members of the WTA’s Top-10 now.
World No.9 Paula Badosa edged fourth-ranked Barbora Krejcikova in a Sydney final that served as cold, hard proof that both players have games that are built to succeed at the highest level on tour.
Badosa scored the 6-3, 4-6, 7-6(4) victory, but Saturday’s final was one that left both players feeling good about their form heading into next week’s Australian Open. Neither player has reached past the second round at the Australian Open in singles before, but both look ready to do serious damage at the happy slam.
Though Krejcikova fell in the final, she can hold her head high after performing a tennis miracle on Friday when she saved seven match points to knock off Anett Kontaveit in a third-set tiebreak. The 26-year-old is in good health and looks to be headed for another fantastic season.
Ditto for 24-year-old Badosa, who converted all four of her break point opportunities to improve to 3-0 against Krejcikova and 3-0 in WTA Finals.
The Spaniard will fade Australia’s Ajla Tomljanovic in round one; Krejcikova has drawn Andrea Petkovic.