Radwanska cruises to Sydney title

The Agnieszka Radwanska juggernaut ran over hapless Dominika Cibulkova on Friday, as the Pole won the Sydney International to take her unbeaten streak this year to nine ahead of the Australian Open.

The top seed crushed Cibulkova 6-0, 6-0 in just over an hour for back-to-back tournament victories, making the perfect preparation for the year-opening Grand Slam, which starts in Melbourne on Monday.

It was the world number four’s 12th career singles title and she has yet to drop a set this year.

“I’m extremely happy that I’ve won two titles in a row and not even losing one set. It’s really been amazing two weeks,” Radwanska said.

“I definitely didn’t really expect that at all. She’s a great player and she had some great wins this week, so I definitely didn’t really expect that score.”

Ruthless display

Radwanska overpowered Cibulkova, ranked 14th in the world, breaking her serve six times, winning 68 per cent of the points and capitalising on her error-prone opponent.

Cibulkova, who was unseeded in the tournament, double-faulted on match point to cap a miserable night’s work.

“This is tennis and this is sport. Sometimes things happen like that and of course I feel bad,” Radwanska said.

“This was the final, so it’s always supposed to be tight, long match. It was six-love, six-love. She didn’t deserve that score.”

Radwanska, who beat Belgian Yanina Wickmayer in the Auckland Classic final last week, made it two tournaments in a row, with wins in Sydney over 1994 winner Kimiko Date-Krumm, Roberta Vinci, Li Na and Cibulkova.

But the 23-year-old remains at world number four heading into Melbourne where she will compete against the top three – Victoria Azarenka, Serena Williams and Maria Sharapova.

“I think if I’m going to play like that, like today, in Melbourne, I will be very happy. So we’ll see,” Radwanska said.

“Wherever I go I always think I can win it. Melbourne is also that kind of tournament.

“Being in the top 10, top five now for a couple years, I think it means that I can also win the Grand Slam.”

Shortest final

Radwanska faces Australian qualifier Bojana Bobusic in the opening round of the Open and is seeded to face China’s Li Na in the quarters and Sharapova in the semis.

It was the shortest Sydney women’s final by games since Gabriela Sabatini’s 6-1, 6-1 win over Arantxa Sanchez Vicario in 1992.

“It’s just sometimes there are days that it’s not going your way,” Cibulkova said. It was just the one for me today.”

“All the balls I missed and it was just not going right way and everything was going for her.

“I was maybe not ready for it (final) because the whole week I just played so well. Maybe I didn’t handle the situation very well.”

Radwanska joins a Sydney champions’ list in one of the oldest tournaments in the world which includes Azarenka, Justine Henin, Kim Clijsters, Martina Hingis, and Monica Seles in the last few decades.

Cibulkova was the first unseeded player in six years to reach the Sydney final, beating German second seed Angelique Kerber to reach the decider.