<p>Victoria Azarenka kept up a banner year when she beat Svetlana Kuznetsova 6-3, 6-2 to win the Miami Open in Florida on Saturday.<br /><br /></p>.<p>Azarenka punished her Russian opponent's weak serve to wrap up the final in 80 minutes in relentless humidity under a searing sun in the early afternoon encounter on the Key Biscayne hardcourt.<br /><br />The 13th seed finished off Kuznetsova with a powerful backhand groundstroke for the 20th title of her career, and her third of the year, after winning previously in Indian Wells and Brisbane.<br /><br />It is the third Miami title for the 26-year-old from Belarus and the first time she has won the same tournament more than twice.<br /><br />She is also the first woman to win the Indian Wells and Miami tournaments back-to-back since Kim Clijsters in 2005.<br /><br />"This just gives me even more inspiration and motivation to keep working harder," Azarenka said in a courtside interview.<br /><br />"I'm very happy that all the work that I've been putting in is paying off. It's such a great opportunity to play the whole month so consistent."<br /><br />Azarenka seems to be returning to the form that took her to the top of the world rankings four years ago, before she was sidetracked by injury and personal problems.<br />She beat Serena Williams in the final at Indian Wells two weeks ago, and on Saturday, she never gave Kuznetsova a chance.<br /><br />She pounced on Kuznetsova's second serve, breaking the Russian five times in the first set alone.<br /><br />Serve problems<br /><br />Azarenka also had her serving problems, however. She was broken three times in the first set but settled down in the second to hold throughout.<br />"It was pretty tough conditions with being so hot," she said.<br /><br />"It didn't seem too windy but it was really difficult to serve because the ball was flying too much. I really took my opportunities, stepped into the net a lot."<br />"For me it was trying to find how I was going to turn it around and to be brave and accept those double faults," Azarenka said. <br /><br />"It was a lot of missed serves. Once I focused on what I needed to do to make it better, it started to get better."<br /><br />A long week perhaps caught up with Kuznetsova in the final, after she battled through three sets in four of the five matches she won to get to the final.<br /><br />Along the way, she beat world number one Serena Williams. But Kuznetsova was outclassed by Azarenka, whose sights will soon turn to the clay court season and the French Open.<br /><br />"I think my game suits pretty well for the clay court season," said the two-times Australian Open champion.<br /><br />"I've been in the semifinals of the French Open. I'm ready to take that second step."<br /><br /></p>
<p>Victoria Azarenka kept up a banner year when she beat Svetlana Kuznetsova 6-3, 6-2 to win the Miami Open in Florida on Saturday.<br /><br /></p>.<p>Azarenka punished her Russian opponent's weak serve to wrap up the final in 80 minutes in relentless humidity under a searing sun in the early afternoon encounter on the Key Biscayne hardcourt.<br /><br />The 13th seed finished off Kuznetsova with a powerful backhand groundstroke for the 20th title of her career, and her third of the year, after winning previously in Indian Wells and Brisbane.<br /><br />It is the third Miami title for the 26-year-old from Belarus and the first time she has won the same tournament more than twice.<br /><br />She is also the first woman to win the Indian Wells and Miami tournaments back-to-back since Kim Clijsters in 2005.<br /><br />"This just gives me even more inspiration and motivation to keep working harder," Azarenka said in a courtside interview.<br /><br />"I'm very happy that all the work that I've been putting in is paying off. It's such a great opportunity to play the whole month so consistent."<br /><br />Azarenka seems to be returning to the form that took her to the top of the world rankings four years ago, before she was sidetracked by injury and personal problems.<br />She beat Serena Williams in the final at Indian Wells two weeks ago, and on Saturday, she never gave Kuznetsova a chance.<br /><br />She pounced on Kuznetsova's second serve, breaking the Russian five times in the first set alone.<br /><br />Serve problems<br /><br />Azarenka also had her serving problems, however. She was broken three times in the first set but settled down in the second to hold throughout.<br />"It was pretty tough conditions with being so hot," she said.<br /><br />"It didn't seem too windy but it was really difficult to serve because the ball was flying too much. I really took my opportunities, stepped into the net a lot."<br />"For me it was trying to find how I was going to turn it around and to be brave and accept those double faults," Azarenka said. <br /><br />"It was a lot of missed serves. Once I focused on what I needed to do to make it better, it started to get better."<br /><br />A long week perhaps caught up with Kuznetsova in the final, after she battled through three sets in four of the five matches she won to get to the final.<br /><br />Along the way, she beat world number one Serena Williams. But Kuznetsova was outclassed by Azarenka, whose sights will soon turn to the clay court season and the French Open.<br /><br />"I think my game suits pretty well for the clay court season," said the two-times Australian Open champion.<br /><br />"I've been in the semifinals of the French Open. I'm ready to take that second step."<br /><br /></p>