A break for Safarova in the first game of the match set the tone, as she rode that break to a 3-1 lead, and after eventually taking the first set, 6-4, she built another 3-1 lead in the second set.
From there there was no stopping the Czech, who served impeccably in the match - she hit seven aces in eight service games, including three in a row at one point - and she wrapped the victory up, 6-4, 6-3.
The Qatar Total Open is Safarova's sixth WTA title but by far the biggest of them all, being at the Premier level.
Her first five WTA titles were all at the International level, namely Oeiras and Forest Hills in 2005, Gold Coast in 2006, Forest Hills again in 2008 and most recently Québec City in 2013. There's more good news for Safarova - she will rise from No.15 to No.11 on the new WTA Rankings after this, a new career-high - coming into this week her career-high WTA Ranking was No.14. Azarenka was on a 14-match winning streak at this tournament, having won the title in her last two appearances in 2012 and 2013 (she had to sit out the 2014 tournament due to a foot injury). Azarenka was playing her first WTA final since last January, though. "It's been a long week for me. It's been a while since I had that many matches in a row," Azarenka said.
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