World No. 1 Ashleigh Barty took on World No. 7 Aryna Sabalenka in the final of the WTA Stuttgart Open 2021. It was their seventh meeting today and went in favor of the Australian player. Barty won the match 3-6 6-0 6-3, which lasted for a little over 90 minutes. 

Set 1: Aryna Sabalenka topples Ashleigh Barty in the opening set 

The Belarusian athlete began proceedings and took a 1-0 lead after holding her opening service game. At 2-2, Ashleigh Barty was applying pressure on the opponent’s serve and had a chance to get the first break of the match. However, Aryna maintained composure and held serve. 

In the very next game, Barty was under fire but held her serve after handing her opponent a couple of breakpoints. In the eight-game of the set, Sabalenka got the first break and took a 5-3 lead in the set. After 38 minutes into the match, the Belarusian sealed the opening set 6-3. 

Set 2: Ashleigh Barty bounces back in style

The Australian player began serving in the second set and held her serve. Barty found the motivation and stepped up her game; she broke Sabalenka for the first time in the match and held serve in the next game, taking a 3-0 lead in the second set. 

Ashleigh was in no mood to show any remorse towards her opponent in the second set as she broke her for the second time, cruising comfortably at 4-0. The Australian star consolidated the break and was one game away from handing Aryna a bagel in the set. After 20 minutes in the set, Barty leveled things up in the match after clinching the set 6-0. 

Set 3: Ashleigh Barty claims the deciding set with ease

As the second set was over, Aryna took a medical timeout. As play resumed, Ashleigh opened proceedings in the final set and held serve with ease. The momentum was clearly in favor of the Australian player as she broke Sabalenka in her first service game of the deciding set.  

In a matter of minutes, Barty raced to a 3-0 lead and had the WTA Stuttgart Open 2021 trophy in her sights. Interestingly, the Belarusian athlete was in no mood to give up easily and broke the Australian player in the fifth game, trailing at 2-3 in the third set. 

However, Ashleigh shrugged off the earlier break and returned the break back to Aryna. Eventually, Barty sailed smooth and claimed the WTA Stuttgart Open 2021 after winning the final set 6-3. 

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