Spaniard Paula Badosa will head to the Australian Open high on confidence after beating French Open champion Barbora Krejcikova 6-3, 4-6, 7-6 (4) in the Sydney Tennis Classic final on Saturday.

World No.9 Badosa, who also beat Krejcikova en route to clinching the Indian Wells title last year, sealed victory in two hours 22 minutes. The 24-year-old sent down 12 aces on the way to claiming the third singles title of her career.

“Maybe one winner that I hit, one serve, maybe she missed one ball... I think the good thing is I fought till the end,” Badosa told reporters.

Elsewhere, in the men’s final, Andy Murray’s quest for a first ATP title in over two years ended in defeat on Saturday. Aslan Karatsev eased his way to a 6-3, 6-3 win over the former world No.1 Murray.

In the women’s final, both players broke serve early on in the contest before Badosa won three games in a row to take the opening set 6-3. Krejcikova pushed hard early in the second set to break but was unable to hold her lead.

The Czech persevered and was rewarded with a break in the ninth game, going on to erase Badosa’s advantage and take the match into a decider.

It was Badosa who raised her game when it mattered, taking advantage of a missed forehand from Krejcikova to convert her second championship point.

Both players are back in action on Monday, with Badosa taking on local hope Ajla Tomljanovic in the first round of the Australian Open, while Krejcikova will face Germany’s Andrea Petkovic.

For 28-year-old Karatsev, who reached the Australian Open semis as a qualifier last year, it was a third career title.

“It gives energy, confidence, especially when I was supposed to play the ATP Cup. I didn’t. So to start the year with the title and I arrive to Melbourne already in winning matches, tournament — it for sure gives some confidence,” the Russian told reporters.

Murray, playing in his first final since the European Open in Antwerp in October 2019, started tentatively and was broken in the first game of the match.

Three-time major winner Murray struggled on serve throughout the opening set, landing just 48 per cent of his first serves and committing four double faults. The Briton showed glimpses of his old self in the fifth game that lasted nearly 13 minutes as he battled valiantly to get a break back, but Karatsev weathered the storm and held on.