Aryna Sabalenka crushes Qinwen Zheng in lopsided final

Aryna Sabalenka completed her dominant fortnight by crushing Qinwen Zheng, claiming the tournament without dropping a set.

Belarus' Aryna Sabalenka celebrates with the Daphne Akhurst Memorial Cup after defeating China's Qinwen Zheng. Picture: AFP

Aryna Sabalenka has completed her absolute dominance of the Australian Open by crushing Qinwen Zheng in the final at Melbourne Park. The Belarusian won her second consecutive Daphne Ackhurst Memorial Cup by beating Zheng 6-3 6-2 in little more than a blink of the eye.

She claimed the tournament without dropping a set.

Sabalenka began the final with a booming serve and thunderous backhand winner and didn’t miss a beat from there. Zheng never settled in her first major final. The 21-year-old was playing on the 10-year anniversary of China’s Lin Na’s famous victory and she had the majority of crowd support inside Rod Laver Arena.

Sabalenka stretches for an overhead against Zheng. Picture: AFP

Outclassed, her hopes evaporated quickly.

Sabalenka marched to an immediate 2-0 before falling to 0-40 in her next service game. She hit her way out of trouble and took care of the opening set while barely raising a sweat.

Na’s advice to Zheng had been to overthink things. Some problem-solving was required … mainly how to get her teeth into Sabalenka’s service games.

She returned poorly as the World No.2 sprinted through the games on her own delivery.

Sabalenka was too powerful, too experienced, too match-tough, hitting Zheng off the court. Zheng reached the final without facing a top 50 player and the rise in class proved too much.

It was a dud final, really, for the lack of competitiveness. Zheng began the second set with a flurry of double faults that sucked the life out of the match and crowd.

China's Zheng had no answers. Picture: AFP

Zheng looked rushed from the very first points, hitting the ball late, unable to find any rhythm against the heaviest hitter in women’s tennis.

Sabalenka’s only minor inconvenience was needing five match points to get it done.

“It has been an amazing couple of weeks,” Sabalenka said after receiving the winner’s trophy from Australian legend Evonne Goolagong-Cawley.

“It has been an amazing couple of weeks and I couldn’t imagine myself lifting this trophy one more time.”

“It is my first final and I feel a bit of pity but that is how it is. It is an experience for me,” Zheng said on stage.

“I feel it is very complicated. I feel that I could have done better, but I did not in this match.

“Also, I really enjoyed playing in the Australia Open. It was an amazing memory for me and I’m sure there will be more, and better, in the future.”

Sabalenka celebrates her win. Picture: AFP