Miami, April 3

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.

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. She 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.

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. She is also the first woman to win the Indian Wells and Miami tournaments back-to-back since Kim Clijsters in 2005.

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. She beat Serena Williams in the final at Indian Wells two weeks ago, and on Saturday never gave Kuznetsova a chance. She pounced on Kuznetsova’s second serve, breaking the Russian five times in the first set alone.

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. “It was pretty tough conditions with being so hot,” she said.