Sabalenka was in danger of losing the Brisbane final for the second straight year when she lost the first set to 107th-ranked Kudermetova and faced a break point in the fourth game of the second set.

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Little was going right for Sabalenka until then, including a rare fresh-air swing and an inspired opponent whose aggressive returning was wreaking havoc.

But any thoughts of a fairytale title upset ended there, with Sabalenka fighting back to hold serve then break Kudermetova in the next game as part of a run of eight games from nine that turned the contest for good.

She raced 3-0 then 5-1 up in the deciding set before Kudermetova dragged back one of the breaks, only to relent when she dumped a backhand into the net on Sabalenka’s first match point.

“I was trying to play too conservative, I would say. I wasn’t following the plan,” Sabalenka said.

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“She was smashing the ball, and it seemed like everything was going in. I was like, ‘I cannot do much in this situation’. In that second set, I just put her under a little pressure. I saw the way she was reacting, the way she was playing. She was rushing things a lot.

“I was like, ‘I’m just going to stay aggressive, keep pushing, keep swinging [at] the ball, and hopefully, I’ll be able to turn around this game’.”

It is Sabalenka’s first singles title in Brisbane and 18th overall, and sits alongside her season-opening victories in Adelaide (2023), Abu Dhabi (2021) and Shenzhen (2019).

The result somewhat avenges her lopsided defeat in last year’s Brisbane final to Elena Rybakina when she managed only three games.

Sabalenka was flying out of Brisbane bound for Melbourne on Sunday night.

“I’m super happy to win this beautiful trophy,” she said.

“That was definitely a tricky match. I’m really glad that I was able to put it all together and turn the game in the second set.

“I definitely can take a lot of things from this week heading into the Australian Open. Mentally, physically, I’ll be ready to go at the Australian Open. I’m really happy with the way the week went. Having this trophy going to the major is really important.”

It was not such a good night for Opelka, who is only six months back from a two-year injury layoff that included hip and dual wrist surgeries.

The former world No.17, now ranked 293 as he continues his comeback, upset Novak Djokovic in the Brisbane quarter-finals then eliminated Giovanni Mpetshi Perricard in the semi-finals.

“My back’s been giving me some issues. The tournament doctor and the ATP physio were pretty unbelievable, and they threw the kitchen sink at it,” Opelka said.

“We worked on it literally all day, but unfortunately, it wasn’t right enough to compete.”

Osaka retires from Auckland final, sparking fitness concerns

Naomi Osaka’s quest for a first title in four years ended in heartbreak as the former world No.1 retired with an injury after winning the opening set of the Auckland Classic final against Denmark’s Clara Tauson on Sunday.

It was an anticlimactic finish to the match and Tauson said winning her third WTA Tour title after a similar drought did not gloss over the worst final that she had played.

“I have to say I’m really sorry about this final. Naomi was playing some great tennis. I just feel sad about what happened today,” Tauson said.

“Of course, when I process this, I’m going to be super happy about my week. I’m happy that I won, but not really.”

Osaka, who won the last of her four grand slam trophies at the Australian Open in 2021, returned to the circuit a year ago after a long maternity break, but struggled for consistency and ended the season ranked outside the top 50.

She showed glimpses of just how devastating she can be in Auckland and grabbed a double break against Tauson with powerful hitting on both flanks in the opening set, which she wrapped up 6-4, despite dropping serve late on.

But the 27-year-old from Japan had tears in her eyes as she had an apparent abdominal issue checked out on court before the start of the next set and threw in the towel, sparking concerns about her fitness for this month’s Australian Open.

She cut a more cheerful figure at the presentation ceremony, joking that skipping breakfast might have led to her defeat.

“I just want to thank everyone for welcoming me to such a beautiful city and I had a lot of fun playing here,” said Osaka, without going into detail about her problem.

“I’m really sorry about how it ended, but I hope you enjoyed the tennis that we did play. I’m just grateful to be here.”

The Melbourne Park major, where Osaka has won two titles, will begin on January 12.

Reuters