DOHA, Qatar (AP) – Victoria Azarenka defeated Venus Williams for the first time on Friday, rallying for a 2-6, 6-2, 6-4 victory to reach the final at the Qatar Open.
A two-time champion in Doha, Azarenka made adjustments in the second set and took a 5-1 lead in the third. Azarenka had 36 winners in a match watched by David Beckham.
“Venus was kicking my butt left and right, and I didn’t know what to do. In the second set, I took control,” said Azarenka, who won the event in 2012 and 2013 but withdrew last year because of a foot injury.
Williams entered the match with a 4-0 record against the Belarusian, who reached her first final in more than a year.
“From 5-1, she really went for her shots, she was really aggressive,” Azarenka said of Williams. “So I just wanted to stay composed.”