BEIJING, Oct. 7 (UPI) -- World No. 1 Victoria Azarenka topped second-ranked Maria Sharapova in a final for this third time this year in taking Sunday's China Open championship match.
Azarenka posted a 6-3, 6-1 decision over Sharapova for her fifth overall title of 2012 while improving to 3-1 this year in championship matches head-to-head with Sharapova. She also beat Sharapova in the finals of this year's Australian Open and at Indian Wells, Calif. Sharapova came out ahead at a final in Germany, however.