Madrid Open: After defeating Iga Swiatek, Aryna Sabalenka wins her second championship
Posted : 07 May 2023
For the first match ever, Aryna Sabalenka defeated Iga Swiatek, the world's top player, on clay to win the Madrid Open.
Belarusian Sabalenka prevailed in a thrilling match 6-3 3-6 6-3, only two weeks after falling to the Pole in Stuttgart.
Two years after her initial victory in the Spanish city, she now leads the WTA Tour with her third championship of the year.
Three weeks before the French Open, where Swiatek is the defending champion, the victory further highlights Sabalenka's credentials as the Australian Open winner.
Despite displaying indications of annoyance after blowing two break opportunities at 3-2 in the opening set, Sabalenka, 25, ultimately converted her fourth to grab a 5-3
advantage, from which she served out to win a set on clay against Swiatek for the first time.
After the Pole's rapid response, she quickly took a 3-0 lead in the second set. However, Sabalenka battled back, winning three straight games before losing two break points.
After then, it was 21-year-old Swiatek's turn once more to win three straight games and the set to force a deciding.
Surprisingly, the third set proceeded in the same way, with Sabalenka, the world's second-ranked player, winning three straight games before Swiatek did the same.
Sabalenka needed four match points in a battle that lasted two hours and 25 minutes to successfully defend her championship and win her 29th match of the year after maintaining her serve and breaking her opponent.
Both of Sabalenka's victories in the competition have come at the cost of the top-ranked player at the time, having defeated Ashleigh Barty in the Madrid final in 2021.
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