Top seed Aryna Sabalenka defeated second seed Elise Mertens in the Upper Austria Ladies Linz final 7-5 6-2 to clinch her eight career title and third this season.
The 22-year-old Sabalenka opened the match with a 2-0 lead. Mertens quickly leveled back to 2-2. A break in the ninth game gave Mertens the opportunity to serve for the set at 5-4, but Sabalenka won three games in a row and the set was hers.
Sabalenka’s momentum continued in the second set. She went 3-0 up and was never really endangered by her Belgian opponent until the end of the match that lasted one hour and 42 minutes.
This is Sabalenka’s second straight title, as the Belarusian also won the J&T Banka Ostrava Open last month. The world No.11 will enjoy a Top 10 season-ending ranking for the first time in her career.
