World number one Ash Barty said her tennis had reached a new level during a “phenomenal” week in Stuttgart where she pulled off three successive comeback wins to claim her second title on clay.
The Australian, who turned 25 on Saturday, defeated fifth seed Aryna Sabalenka 3-6 6-0 6-3 in the final to hoist her third WTA trophy this season and cement her place at the top of the rankings.
The Sabalenka win followed victories over fourth seed Elina Svitolina and sixth seed Karolina Pliskova after conceding the first set in each.
“This week has been phenomenal for me,” Barty said in her post-match media conference.
“We’ve played a lot of tennis, a lot of matches.
“And I’ve …
Keep on reading: Comeback queen Barty savors ‘phenomenal’ week in Stuttgart