Iga Swiatek falls to the floor as she wins the Madrid title for the first time. 3 championship points saved. Emotional day for the world #1. She never gave up. 🥹 🇵🇱❤️
Astonishing Iga SWIATEK reigns supreme in Madrid Open after thrilling battle against Aryna SABALENKA
WTASaturday, 04 May 2024 at 21:58
Iga
Swiatek (No. 1) overcame Aryna Sabalenka (No. 2) with a scoreline of 7-5, 4-6,
7-6(7) to clinch the Madrid Open title for the first time in her career. The
Polish player now boasts 20 professional titles and 9 WTA 1000 titles so far,
marking an intense battle between the two top-ranked players.
The
match was a rematch of the 2023 final, a rarity not seen since the years 2009-2010
when finalists Roger Federer and Rafael Nadal faced off in consecutive years,
with Federer winning first and then Nadal. This time, Swiatek avenged
Sabalenka's victory from a year earlier.
Swiatek
reached the final with a series of commanding victories, breezing through the
semifinals against Madison Keys in just one hour (6-1, 6-3), while Sabalenka
had to stage a comeback against Elena Rybakina to secure the win in a third-set
tie-break (1-6, 7-5, 7-6).
Nerve-wracking showdown at Caja Magica
The
first set was a showcase of high-quality tennis right from the start. Both
players secured an early break, highlighting the pressure of the moment. From
then on, they showed greater consistency on serve: Swiatek had a 61% first
serve percentage, winning 70% of those points, similar to Sabalenka who had a
68% first serve percentage and won 69% of those points.
The
set remained evenly matched until 5-5, with neither player dominating, and both
had already saved several break points against them. In the 11th game, Swiatek
capitalized on one of the two opportunities her opponent gave her and secured
the crucial break to then close out the first set on her serve, 7-5, taking the
lead after over an hour of play.
In the
second set, things took a turn as Sabalenka secured the first break and raced
to a 2-0 lead in just a few minutes. However, it was a period of greater inconsistency
for both players on serve, with four consecutive breaks, but they returned to
parity at 3-3.
Iga Swiatek totalized 35 winners and 37 unforced errors in the match
Both
players defended their service games well, but similar to the previous set, the
break came at the most pressure-filled moment. Sabalenka was up 5-4 and seized
her only opportunity to send the match to a third set with a 6-4 victory, as
the match approached the two-hour mark.
In the
third set, both player let up the intensity, and the pressure was felt from
both sides. The Belarusian saved a couple of break points in the third game and
then capitalized on her first opportunity in the following game to take a 3-1
lead while playing her best tennis. But the No. 1 still had something to say
and immediately recovered the break.
The
tension escalated until the 12th game, arguably the most gripping game of the
match, where Swiatek was against the ropes but managed to fend off two match
points before taking it all to the tie-break.
Both conceded a mini-break before Swiatek earned her first match point at 6-5, but Sabalenka saved it with an ace. Then, a crosscourt forehand error from the Polish player handed her opponent her third championship point, but she couldn't capitalize on it either.
Finally, Swiatek secured the mini-break with Sabalenka's serve, and after fending off three match points against her, she claimed the title by 7-5, 4-6, 7-6(7) in an exhilarating celebration. This victory marks her ninth WTA 1000 title and brings her total professional titles to 20.
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