Victoria Azarenka beats Maria Sharapova for title at Indian Wells

Top-seeded Victoria Azarenka of Belarus kept her hot hand going Sunday in thre women’s final of the BNP Paribas Open tennis tournament.

On a cold and windy day, Azarenka beat second-seeded Maria Sharapova of Russia, 6-2, 6-3.

That brought Azarenka the first-ever $1 million winner’s check for the women’s side of this event. It also brought her year-to-date record to 23-0. She won the Australian open, beating Sharapova in that final, too, and now has won the title in five of the last six tournaments she has entered.

Her victory and the $1-million check brought her winnings to date this year to just shy of $4 million.

“This is so special,” Azarenka said. “I never had the dream in my life about what is happening to me now.”

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Victoria Azarenka beats Maria Sharapova for title at Indian Wells