Caroline Wozniacki has won the WTA Premier Event in Eastbourne. The Danes defeated Aryna Sabalenka in two sets in a high-class final.
29th WTA title for Caroline Wozniacki: The 27-year-old Danish won the WTA Premier Event in Eastbourne for the second time since 2009. Wozniacki had big problems with the Belarussian Aryna Sabalenka, but finally won 7:5 and 7:6 (5).
3-5 down in the first set in 2018, the Australian Open winner first had to fend off a set point on her own serve. After that, however, Sabalenka did not succeed in ditching the first run. Wozniacki came back to finish the set with a longline backhand and a break to zero after 58 minutes to 7:5.
Both players had defeated German opponents on their way to the final: Wozniacki in the semi-final Angelique Kerber after defending a match point, Sabalenka already in round two Julia Görges.
Last year’s 20-year-old Fed Cup finalist, however, showed a strong reaction and also took a 3-1 lead in the second set. Wozniacki’s comeback qualities have been legendary for years, however, with the world’s number two re-breaking for 3-3, Sabalenka returning with a superb forehand that gave her a 5-4 break.
As a matter of course, Wozniacki also made up for this backlog, to zero at Sabalenka’s service. However, the underdog saved herself this time in a tiebreak in which Sabalenka quickly won 4-1 and then 5-2. Afterwards, Caroline Wozniacki did not make any more points – because once again she showed her greatest quality: never to give up, always to believe in a combeack.