Aryna Sabalenka entered the Miami Open final against Jessica Pegula with 18 career titles on her elite resume. The Miami Open crown had proved elusive until Saturday. The No. 1 seed from Belarus knocked off fourth-seeded American Jessica Pegula 7-5,

Sabalenka, the world No. 1, beat Jessica Pegula 7-5, 6-2 in a topsy-turvy Miami Open final in which she managed to play the biggest points just a little bit better than Pegula, an American playing just down the road from her South Florida home.

Sabalenka made the ideal start with a break of the Pegula serve to lead 2-0 but the American, who ended the dream run of Filipino teenager Alexandra Eala in the semi-finals, hit back by winning three games in a row. Back came Sabalenka to lead 5-3 only for the Belarusian to falter trying to serve out the set, allowing Pegula to level once more.