If Iga Swiatek maintains her present stage of efficiency, it is troublesome to examine anybody thwarting her quest for a fourth French Open championship.
The world’s top-ranked participant, Swiatek, displayed utter dominance in her current conflict with No. 2 Aryna Sabalenka, clinching the Italian Open title with a commanding 6-2, 6-3 victory on Saturday, marking her third triumph on Rome’s iconic purple clay.
Throughout her marketing campaign on the Foro Italico, Swiatek did not concede a single set, extending her profitable streak on the tour to a powerful 12 matches. Her semifinal match showcased comparable prowess, as she secured a convincing 6-4, 6-3 win over No. 3 Coco Gauff.
With Roland Garros set to start subsequent weekend, Swiatek can be eyeing her third consecutive triumph in Paris and fourth total.
“Obviously, I am confident. I feel like I’m playing great tennis,” Swiatek said. “But it doesn’t change the truth that I actually need to keep humble and targeted on taking all the things step-by-step. Grand Slams are completely different. There is completely different stress on the court docket and off the court docket.
“These are onerous seven matches that you have to win, so I don’t take something with no consideration. I’ll simply work onerous as I did in Madrid and Rome, and we’ll see.”
After congratulating Swiatek in the course of the trophy ceremony, Sabalenka instructed her rival, “I hope we’re going to make it to the ultimate in Roland Garros, and I’m going to get you there.”
Then Sabalenka added, “Just kidding. I’m simply going to attempt to do higher than immediately.”
During her speech, Swiatek replied, “We’ll see about that Roland Garros remaining.”
Swiatek grew to become the primary girl to finish the “grime double” of profitable Madrid and Rome back-to-back since Serena Williams in 2013.
The remaining was fairly a distinction from when Swiatek needed to save three match factors earlier than beating Sabalenka in a third-set tiebreaker within the Madrid Open remaining two weeks in the past.
“Madrid, I didn’t feel like I could do everything. Here I kind of did,” Swiatek said. “I felt like I can actually use this floor and this sense to play even higher.”
Swiatek utilized a lot stress early on that Sabalenka slammed her racket onto the clay within the fourth recreation after which needed to seize a brand new stick from her bag.
Even on factors when the hard-hitting Sabalenka appeared in management, Swiatek used her excellent foot velocity and correct groundstrokes to show the dynamics round and drive Sabalenka into errors.
“Her movement is incredible. You always know that you have to build the point and you have to finish the point,” Sabalenka said. “That’s why generally I attempt to overhit balls, understanding she’s going to get to it. … She’s actually good in each aspect of the sport.”
Sabalenka stepped up her recreation at first of the second set, however Swiatek saved seven break factors in her opening two service video games.
Swiatek produced solely 11 winners to Sabalenka’s 18 but additionally had simply eight unforced errors to Sabalenka’s whopping 28.
Swiatek crushed a backhand return up the road on her second match level, and when Sabalenka’s weak reply landed within the internet, Swiatek dropped her white racket to the clay after which started leaping round in celebration after shaking palms with Sabalenka.
Adding to her titles from 2021 and 2022, Swiatek improved her profession document in Rome to 20-2. At 22, the Polish participant might method the ladies’s document of 5 Italian Open titles held by Chris Evert.
Rafael Nadal, Swiatek’s idol, holds the general document with 10 Rome trophies.
“If I win next time, there is going to be a tiramisu in here,” Swiatek mentioned as she took the lid off the trophy cup.
The males’s remaining on Sunday options 2017 champion Alexander Zverev towards Twenty fourth-ranked Nicolas Jarry.
Swiatek additionally improved her profession document towards Sabalenka to 8-3. Swiatek has additionally gained 9 straight finals since she misplaced to Sabalenka in Madrid final yr.
Sabalenka was slowed by a again subject.
“Probably in some points there was moments where I could push myself a little bit more, but I didn’t want to get injured before Roland Garros,” she said. “It’s sort of like affecting you a bit of bit simply by being there at the back of your thoughts. But I wouldn’t say I misplaced the match immediately due to my again.”
Swiatek earned a winner’s test of 699,690 euros (greater than $750,000).
Source: www.dailysabah.com