Madrid (AFP)
Polish Iga Świńtek, ranked first in the world, took revenge on Belarusian Aryna Sabalenka, second, when she defeated her 7-5, 4-6, 7-6 in three hours and 11 minutes, in the final match of the Madrid Masters 1000 tennis tournament, and won the title.
Sabalenka defeated Światnik 6-3, 3-6, 6-3 in the final last year. She won the title for the second time after 2021.
Shevyontik, who topped the world rankings for 101 weeks, succeeded in winning the title, after saving three shots that would have given the Belarusian the crown, including two shots in the twelfth game of the decisive third set, when she was trailing 5-6 with the serve in her possession, and the third in the tie-break, when she was different. 6-7, before gaining three consecutive points, and deciding it in her favor 9-7.
It is the 20th title for Shevuntek in her professional career, and the third this season in the Alef Tournaments after Doha and Indian Wells. Shevuntek also achieved the seventh victory over Sabalenka in 10 confrontations between them.
The 22-year-old Polish woman was crowned at least once in each of the 1,000 and 500 points tournaments held on European clay courts, and three titles in the French Open on Roland Garros (2020, 2022, and 2023).
Shevyontik has also won her last eight consecutive finals, and now joins Kazakhstan’s Elena Rybakina with 30 victories this season.
She said after the end of the match and in her statement on the court: “Who will say now that women’s tennis is boring?”
At the age of 22 years and 338 days, Sheviontek became the youngest player to win eight titles on clay courts in WTA tournaments and tournaments since the Spanish Arancha Sanchez Vicario in 1994, at the age of 22 years and 114 days.
On the other hand, Sabalenka failed to win the tournament title for the third time in her career, thus raising her total of titles to 15 titles, the last of which was when she won the Australian Open title, the first of the four major tournaments at the beginning of this year, in her second major title after Wimbledon last year.
Sabalenka lost her second final this year, after losing to Rybakina in the Australian tournament in Brisbane last January.
Both Švyontek and Sabalenka will be the most prominent candidates to win the Roland Garros title.
The two players exchanged breaks at the beginning of the first set. The Polish woman did it in the first game, and the Belarusian responded in the second to equalize, before Światnik succeeded in breaking Sabalenka’s serve for the second time in the eleventh game. She led 6-5, then won the twelfth, ending the set in her favor 7. -5 in 61 minutes.
Sabalenka led 2-0 in the second set, after she broke Światnik in the second game, but the latter responded immediately, reducing the gap to 1-2, before the Belarusian did it for the second time in the fourth game and advanced 3-1, then the Polish woman responded in the fifth, reducing the gap again. To 2-3.
Sabalenka waited for the tenth game to break Światnik’s serve, and the set was decided in her favor 6-4.
Sabalenka continued her advantage in the decisive third set, breaking Światnik’s serve in the fourth game and taking a 3-1 lead, but the Polish woman returned the greeting directly, reducing the difference to 2-3 and then forcing a 3-3, 4-4, 5-5 draw.
Sabalenka had two chances to break Shevuntik’s serve in the eleventh game, but the latter saved the situation and tied the game 6-6, and imposed a tie-break in which the Belarusian had a chance to settle the result when she was ahead 7-6, but Shevuntik turned the tables again, earning three points. In a row, it was decided in her favor 9-7.
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