World number one Iga Swiatek saved three championship points to beat world number two Aryna Sabalenka 7-5 4-6 7-6 (9-7) and win her first Madrid Open title.
The Pole had been a break down early in the third set but held her nerve down the stretch to gain revenge for defeat by Sabalenka in last year’s final.
Swiatek dug deep to save two match points in the 13th game of the third set to stay in the match and then saved another in the tie-break on her way to victory.
The first meeting of the top two players in the world this season kept the Spanish crowd enthralled for more than three hours, and featured some extraordinary power, brilliant shot-making and superb defence.