Iga Swiatek holds off Pegula to make it sweet 16 & make Miami Open final with Osaka

It's a "sweet sixteen" for upcoming World No.1 Iga Swiatek, who won her 16th straight match with a hard-fought 6-2, 7-5 victory Thursday over Jessica Pegula in the Miami Open semifinals.

Swiatek is now into her first Miami Open final and her third consecutive WTA 1000 final overall. She needed 1 hour and 48 minutes to outlast No.16 seed Pegula, the last American standing, in singles at the Miami Open.

"Even though it's the middle of the night, I feel like I'm going to get some time to chill out today, because it was a really intense match and I had to give everything," Swiatek said after her win.

Iga vs. Naomi for the crown: Swiatek will now take on former World No.1 Naomi Osaka in an enticing championship battle. Osaka defeated Belinda Bencic for the first time at tour-level in the first semifinal of the day.

Osaka won their only previous meeting, when she beat Swiatek 7-6(4), 6-4 in the Round of 16 at 2019 Toronto.

If Swiatek can avenge that loss and defeat Osaka, she will become the fourth player to win titles at both Indian Wells and Miami in the same season, completing the "Sunshine Double." She would join Stefanie Graf (1994 and 1996), Kim Clijsters (2005) and Victoria Azarenka (2016) in that select group.

"I am excited for sure [about facing Osaka in the final], but on the other hand for me, the most important job is this is a match like any other," Swiatek said. "I don't want to change my routines, I don't want to change my attitude, because it's been working out pretty well. I'm going to treat it like any other match."

WTA 1000 dominance: Swiatek has not lost a match at the WTA 1000 events this year, where the entirety of her career-best winning streak has taken place. She won the first WTA 1000 event of the season in Doha, then followed up with the title at WTA 1000 Indian Wells a fortnight ago.

Swiatek needed to battle through a tense second set with Pegula, fighting back from an early break down, then squandering two match points at 5-4 before sealing victory two games later. Nevertheless, Swiatek is into the final without the loss of a set.

"[Pegula] is playing really low balls, that's her style," Swiatek said. "You have to work really low on your legs. It's just getting more and more intense. She's not missing a lot, so basically she's gonna also just use every opportunity to attack as well."

Swiatek is now the ninth player to reach the finals at both Indian Wells and Miami in the same year, joining Monica Seles, Graf, Serena Williams, Martina Hingis, Lindsay Davenport, Clijsters, Maria Sharapova and Azarenka.

All eight of those players have taken a turn at World No.1. Swiatek will get her own turn Monday, when she is guaranteed to ascend to the World No.1 ranking for the first time in her career.

Stat corner: Pegula pulled off a comeback from a set down in her previous meeting with Swiatek, which came in Washington, D.C. in 2019. Pegula went on to win her first career singles title that week.

This time, Swiatek refused to yield in her winning streak as she leveled her head-to-head with Pegula at a win apiece.

Swiatek was able to hold onto more of her first-service points than Pegula, with the Polish player prevailing on 70 percent of those points, while the American only won 55 percent of points behind her first serve.

Swiatek converted just six of her 16 break points, but she still doubled Pegula's three service breaks for the evening.

Key moments: As she had done in all of her previous sets at the 2022 Miami Open, Swiatek zipped through the first set, stepping in on nearly every ball and powering through the opener without facing a break point.

But in the second set, Pegula showed off the combination of offense and defense which propelled her to a career-high ranking of No.14 earlier this year. Speedy Pegula increasingly forced Swiatek into errors, and Pegula broke the No.2 seed three times in the second set, including at 5-4, where Swiatek had two match points.

But at 5-5, Swiatek put on the afterburners, slamming a backhand winner down the line to earn a break at love and a second chance to serve out the match. Swiatek took that opportunity with gusto, converting her third match point after a long return by Pegula.

wtatennis.com

Sweet 16 indeed :). 

But boy, did she have to work for it!. 

My blood pressure sky rocketed in that second set. 

The way Iga refused to lose at the end of that set was something else!. 

Her ability to fight and find solutions to stay in matches has really improved this year. 

As a viewer it's an absolute joy to watch her play at this level, and I honestly cannot wait for the final on Saturday. 

I know it won't be easy, and that the one other time they played Naomi won it. 

But that was before Iga won Roland Garros or any of her 4 other titles for that matter.  And as I've said she is playing on another level the last couple of months.  

I expect the match to be high quality but it wouldn't shock me if Iga manages to pull off the "sunshine double" even against someone as good as Osaka.  

Naomi does have a better save and has been firing a lot of aces in Miami, so Iga will have to protect hers really well, and try to avoid double faults.

Finals do seem to bring out the best in Iga. 

Beyond excited!.  

Bring on Saturday!. 

Iga Swiatek bests Petra Kvitoa for 15th consecutive win & 4th WTA 1000 semi final in Miami

No.2 seed Iga Swiatek notched her 15th consecutive win to advance to the Miami Open semifinals, defeating No.28 seed Petra Kvitova, 6-3, 6-3 in the quarterfinals. The 20-year-old is into her tour-leading fifth semifinal of the season and third straight at the WTA 1000 level.


Swiatek joins Caroline Wozniacki, Victoria Azarenka, and Jelena Ostapenko as the only players to have made four or more WTA 1000 semifinals before their 21st birthdays. The Polish star, who is set to rise to World No.1 after Miami, will face 16th seed Jessica Pegula on Friday night for a spot in her third consecutive WTA 1000 final.

Swiatek's run to her first Miami semifinal has been nothing short of dominant. Coming off her back-to-back titles in Doha and Indian Wells, Swiatek has lost a total of 15 games over four matches and has not dropped more than three games in a set in Miami. Her victory over Kvitova was her tour-leading 24th of the season (24-3).

"I want to use the confidence that I built since the beginning of Doha," Swiatek said. "I think I'm on a roll and I want to use that. Having that kind of streak got pretty tricky, but I'm pretty glad that I could play well, that I'm healthy, and that I can compete against players like Petra. She's a legend."

In the first meeting between the pair, Swiatek absorbed Kvitova's baseline power game while proving herself to be unbreakable on the night. In a match of slim margins, Swiatek's sublime return game continued to wreak havoc. Entering Miami, Swiatek led the Hologic WTA Tour in Return Points Won (50.9%) and Return Games Won (53.5%). In Miami, she has broken in over 58% of her return games.

After a strong start to the match, it took just one poor service game from Kvitova to give Swiatek all she needed to pocket the opening set. Kvitova hit 11 winners to 7 unforced errors compared to Swiatek's 6 winners and 3 unforced errors in the first set, but it was Swiatek who converted the only break point of the set. Serving at 2-3, Kvitova misfired to fall behind 15-40 and Swiatek immediately converted to break. Swiatek rolled through her service games to take it after 37 minutes.

Swiatek continued to pressure Kvitova's serve through the second set. The Czech, who was playing her first WTA 1000 quarterfinal of the season and 33rd overall, buckled down to save four break points to hold 2-1. But Swiatek would break through two games later, breaking on her fifth break point of the set for a 3-2 lead. Swiatek went on to grab a third and final break after 1 hour and 17 minutes to seal her eighth consecutive win over a left-handed opponent.


Both players finished the match with a positive differential, with Kvitova hitting 19 winners to 16 unforced errors and Swiatek hitting 8 winners to 7 unforced errors. But Swiatek's ability to break proved the difference, as Kvitova was unable to generate any break points in the match.

"From the beginning, I knew that I had to keep up with the pace because she plays really fast," Swiatek said. "I wanted to stay low on my legs and the first serve was the key. I don't know if I had many winners, but I wanted to build up positive energy from her mistakes. I'm glad that I stayed focused and I did the tactics from A to Z."

wtatennis.com

Tactics from A to Z indeed. Once again I find myself speechless. 15 straight victories 23rd overall for the year. 

Just marvelous play from Iga once again. She was not at all intimidated with Kvitova's pace and give as good as she got somehow managing to turn them into winners every time. 

Her return continues to be phenomenal putting pressure on her opponents and allowing her to dictate. I hope this is not the last time these to meet. 

Because it was fun to watch them both belt winners on the court. So that's 4 semi finals at WTA 1000 levels for Iga, no disrespect to her opponent Pegula, but Iga deserves to go through with how she has been playing. 

The one time they played Pegula got her, but it was a close 3 setter, and Iga is a completely different player so  I'm looking forward to another great match.

Iga Swiatek passes Gauff test wins 14th consecutive match to reach Miami Open quarters

Iga Swiatek swept into the Miami Open quarterfinals for the first time in her career, as the No.2 seed from Poland defeated No.14 seed Coco Gauff of the United States 6-3, 6-1 on Stadium Court on Monday.

Swiatek, 20, who will rise to World No.1 next Monday, took an hour and 16 minutes to best 18-year-old Gauff in a clash between two of the three youngest players in the Top 20. Swiatek has now won a career-best 14 straight matches.

Iga keeps rolling: Swiatek is still undefeated at WTA 1000 events this season. Her current winning streak started with a title run at the first WTA 1000 event of the year in Doha, and continued through her second straight WTA 1000 title at Indian Wells just over a week ago.

Swiatek can still become the fourth woman to win Indian Wells and Miami in the same season, completing the "Sunshine Double." The other women to have pulled off that feat are Stefanie Graf (1994 and 1996), Kim Clijsters (2005) and Victoria Azarenka (2016).

Graf, Clijsters and Azarenka all spent time at World No.1, and Swiatek will also receive that particular title next week. She is guaranteed to ascend to the top of the Hologic WTA Tour singles rankings on Monday and become the 28th woman to hold the World No.1 ranking.

Stat corner: Swiatek defeated Gauff in straight sets in their only prior meeting, en route to another WTA 1000 title last year in Rome. The Polish player improved to 2-0 against the American teen by converting four of her 10 break points on the day.

Swiatek, who leads the tour in return games won and return points won, claimed nearly 60 percent of points off of the Gauff second serve, as she notched a tour-leading 23rd match-win of the year overall.

More from Miami: Collins overpowers Jabeur, Saville saves match point to reach QFs

No.2-seeded Swiatek was unable to convert any of her first six break points, but she took control when she used a big backhand return to at last break for a 4-3 lead. Strong hitting by Gauff gave the American two chances to break back in the very next game, but Swiatek held on to that game and, eventually, the set.

Those would be the only two break points Gauff held all day as Swiatek dominated the second set, at one juncture claiming 14 points in a row.

Kvitova next up for Swiatek

Two-time Wimbledon champion Petra Kvitova will be Swiatek's quarterfinal opponent, in their first meeting.

No.28 seed Kvitova of the Czech Republic prevailed over No.21 seed Veronika Kudermetova 7-6(5), 6-4 in a streaky affair on Monday evening.

wtatennis.com

Test passed. 14th victory in the books, 23rd for the year. 

I'm running out of superlatives at this point. Iga playing like the world number one she'll officially become next Monday. 

Will face Kvitova next in what would be their first ever meeting on tour. A match up I have been waiting 2 years to see.  Perhaps the first true challenge for Iga.  

Both players seemed excited about meeting one another in their post match interviews.

I'm already imagining the huge forehand exchanges, and a lot of sliding on the part of Iga. One hell of a quarterfinal. Bring it.

Jazda Iga!

Iga Swiatek wins 13th consecutive match to reach Miami 4th round

World No.2 Iga Swiatek extended her career-best winning streak to 13 matches on Sunday night after defeating Madison Brengle 6-0, 6-3 to advance to her first Round of 16 at the Miami Open. The victory sets up a marquee Round of 16 showdown with American phenom Coco Gauff on Monday.

Playing her first match since confirming her rise to the No.1 ranking after Miami, Swiatek continued the sharp form that has seen her sweep the first two WTA 1000s of the season. Coming off her win in Indian Wells last week, Swiatek is trying to become the fourth woman to win the "Sunshine Double". If Swiatek were to win Indian Wells and Miami in the same season, she would join a list that includes Stefanie Graf (1994, 1996), Kim Clijsters (2005), and Victoria Azarenka (2016).

Swiatek raced through the opening set in 25 minutes. Having won the last seven games against Viktorija Golubic in the previous round, the 20-year-old Pole extended her winning streak of games to 14 before Brengle finally broke the run in the second game of the second set.

Swiatek fired 12 winners to Brengle's 1 in the opening set and finished the match with 25 winners to 4 for the American. Swiatek was broken once in the match, but dominated on her return, generating a total of 10 break points and breaking in 5 of 7 return games.

"I feel like I'm in a good place with my tennis and I'm focusing on that," Swiatek said when asked about the No.1 ranking. "I know the ranking can be pressure, but on the other hand when I was climbing up and I entered Top 10 and Top 5 I felt the same feeling, and right now I don't want to repeat that. So I just focus on my game.

"I don't know what's going to happen after the tournament and the adrenaline will go down and I have more time to stress about that a little bit more, but for now I feel great. It's not like it's bothering me, it's more motivating me. So it's great."

Swiatek will face Gauff for the second time in their careers and the first time on a hard court. Their only previous meeting came in Rome last spring. Swiatek won 7-6, 6-3 in the semifinals and would go on to win her first WTA 1000 title.

wtatennis.com

Make that 13 consecutive wins and 22 for the year for Iga. The most of any male or female tennis player in 2022.

 

Wow. 

Her next match might be the first real challenge for her in the tournament in Coco Gauff. 

It'll also be the first day match she plays in Miami. 

But if Iga continues the level she's at not even Gauff will be able to stop her. 

She certainly won't be intimidated with her power. 

I'm expecting a great match tomorrow. 

Jazda Iga!

Iga Swiatek's best shots on the journey to world #1

Nice compilation from the WTA. What a journey it's been. Incredible!

Iga Swiatek reacts to being the new World #1 on the WTA

 

From Grand Slam champ to World No.1, the rise of Iga Swiatek

MIAMI -- Seventeen months ago, Iga Swiatek was not exactly a star in the grand galaxy of tennis. In fact, heading into Roland Garros she was ranked No.54 among WTA players and coming off a first-round loss to qualifier Arantxa Rus in Rome.

And then in Paris, as so often occurs in the movies, something magical happened. Swiatek happened, actually, taking the title at the French Open, at the age of 19. She was the lowest-ranked champion since the rankings were introduced in 1975. But it’s one thing to win a major tournament over the course of a fortnight and quite another to rise to the very top of your profession, a process that requires years and an almost unfathomable dedication.

After her 6-2, 6-0 victory over Viktorija Golubic on Friday night at the Miami Open, Swiatek secured the Hologic WTA Tour's No.1 ranking. It will become official Monday, April 4, when the newly retired Ashleigh Barty’s name will come off the list at her request.

And when it was over, Swiatek blew kisses to the crowd and did the obligatory on-court interview. Afterward, the announcer told the crowd she would soon be No.1. Swiatek was surprised when tournament director James Blake and former World No.1 Lindsay Davenport came out and presented her with flowers.

Appropriately, Alicia Keys’ “Girl on Fire” played on the public address system.

“The thing is, I never really imagined that moment because, truth to be told, I was working day-by-day and playing tennis well,” she said later in a press conference. “But I never had the strong belief that it can actually happen. So, it’s even more surreal for me.

“I loved every moment of it. It doesn’t matter for me if there were fireworks. The crowd was really supportive, they were really excited. I’m just soaking everything in because I didn’t have any expectations.”

Swiatek, still only 20, has made a recent habit of turning her goals into reality. After winning the BNP Paribas Open at Indian Wells last week, which elevated her to No.2, she first began to focus on the next step.

“It’s pretty weird for it to be my goal for two days and it may actually happen that quick,” Swiatek said here on Tuesday. “For sure it would be for me something special to be World No. 1. I never expected that, if it’s going to happen it’s going to happen that way.”

Swiatek becomes the 28th woman to reach the WTA summit. That’s a very small club. By comparison, since the rankings were introduced in 1975, there have been 184 major tournaments, with 52 different women winning titles. She’s the youngest player to make her No.1 debut since Caroline Wozniacki, who was 216 days younger, in 2010. Swiatek is also the first man or woman from Poland to earn the No.1 ranking.

And while the No.1 ranking – because it is traditionally based on a 52-week rolling system – is a process of accumulation, Swiatek is currently the WTA’s most in-form player. She’s on career-best 12-match winning streak and has a tour-high 21 wins this year, with WTA 1000 titles in Doha and Indian Wells.

Kim Clijsters was also 20 years old when she first ascended to the No.1 ranking in 2003. Now 38, she sees herself in today’s emerging players – and marvels at how young they seem. She likes what she sees in Swiatek, her game, her humility, even her love of Rafael Nadal.

“To see Iga grow as a tennis player, it has been so beautiful for me,” Clijsters said Friday from her New Jersey home. “There’s a certain type of focus that is on tennis, and tennis only. There’s a drive there that I a“She’s had great results in the past, but she still wants to improve. We’ve seen others that kind of take a step back and say, `Oh, I’ve won a Slam now, I’ve made it. There’s sponsors coming in and I get treated like a princess wherever I go.’

“Just because you’re the No.1 player and have won Slams, doesn’t mean you should treat other people differently. I feel like Ash Barty did that amazingly, and I think Iga has that focus, too. There’s a still a lot of respect for the other people around her.”

After winning at Roland Garros, Swiatek was named the WTA’s Most Improved Player at the end of the year. She took impressive strides in 2021, winning titles in Adelaide and Rome. She didn’t win another major title, but Swiatek was, very quietly, the only woman to reach at least the Round of 16 in all four Grand Slams. And then she advanced to the semifinals of this year’s Australian Open, a tantalizing appetizer for her current streak – all on hard courts.

Late Tuesday night, a member of Swiatek’s team broke the news to her that Barty was retiring. The idea that she could soon be the World’s No.1 player hit her hard. Tears ensued and continued for quite a while.

“It was, yeah, pretty hard for me to digest,” Swiatek said.

Swiatek becomes the 10th youngest No.1 player in history. To put her achievement in the context of today’s best players, she is also the 10th active player to become No.1: Venus Williams (2002), Serena Williams (2002), Clijsters (2003), Victoria Azarenka (2012), Angelique Kerber (2016), Karolina Pliskova (2017), Garbiñe Muguruza (2017), Simona Halep (2017), Naomi Osaka (2019), Swiatek (2022).

At 20 years, 308 days, Swiatek is the third youngest of those players, behind only Clijsters (20 years, 64 days) and Serena Williams (20 years, 285 days).

Clijsters is living the suburban life in New Jersey as a mother of three. Jada, the tiny tangle of blonde curls that stole the show in Clijsters’ trophy photos after winning the US Opens in 2009 and 2010, is already 14. Brothers Jack and Blake are, respectively, 8 and 5.

What advice would Clijsters give to Swiatek – or, really, to her 20-year-old self?

“I would tell her is to keep that inner child alive,” Clijsters said after a long pause. “And not get caught up in an adult world. I feel I was able to achieve what I did because that inner child stayed with me.

“I played two hours yesterday, and I still love it. There’s a passion for the sport that we [former No.1s] all developed at a young age. We all felt something when we held that racquet and started hitting a ball.”

Technically, Clijsters is still an active player. Still, she hasn’t played since last fall’s BNP Paribas Open at Indian Wells, but her five-month sabbatical could stretch much longer now that Jada is playing competitive basketball and kids playing sports require a chauffeur.

“When you start worrying about the pressure – when that takes over – that’s when it becomes so hard,” she said. “People do look at you differently, right? Players want to beat the No.1 player more. Things change around you, but I don’t think she will change for it. Barty didn’t change for it. I don’t think I changed for it.

“There’s obviously a maturity in Iga as well, but you need to keep it fun, to keep it exciting. Keep that normalcy – if what we do can ever be considered normal.”

How will her life change?

“I don’t know about people’s reactions,” Swiatek said. “It’s really hard to expect anything – I’ve never been in such a place. I think it’s going to be a little bit different. Maybe the hype is going to be a little bit bigger, but I’m ready for it. And honestly, it’s part of the job.

“From my perspective, I don’t think anything will change. Maybe I’ve got to watch if I’m wearing clean clothes and representing tennis well. So, I’m going to be careful with that. But honestly, I’m the same person.”

wtatennis.com

March 25th, 2022 the day 20 year old Iga Swiatek made history by being the first player form Poland to ascend all the way to the top of the WTA rankings. 

It's a day I will never forget. A day I was never prouder to be born and raised in Poland

And while the circumstances due to which it all occurred was one of the saddest moments in the sports history it's still hugely significant. 

It's a day I honestly thought Poland would never have after Agnieszka Radwanska retired. 

When Iga burst on the scene with her win at Roland Garros in 2020 I started to have hope. But I knew that dethroning Ash Barty would take anyone time (and by that I mean years if at all). 

So when we got the news that she retired shortly after Iga won Indian Wells and become world #2 I couldn't believe it.. 

Even once we knew that Ash would take herself off the rankings and Iga was one of 2 people that had a shot at #1 (the other being Paula Badosa) I still could not believe it. 

I'm still finding it it all so surreal (as does Iga) even after having a full day to process. 

All the while still mourning the loss of Ash and all the great rivalries we now will never see. Like Iga herself measuring her skills against the best slice in the sport. 

Now it'll  be Iga carrying the mantle while still learning and growing as she sits all the way at the top.  

I'm still undecided on what's more impressive becoming #1, or being unstoppable in 2022. 

With this latest win that give Iga the number 1 ranking, she has now notched 12 consecutive matches, and has a 21 match win record for the year thus far. 

Something no other man, or woman currently has on tour. 

Rafael Nadal had 20 wins before his loss in the Indian Wells final, and Iga has now surpassed him. I mean....incredible.

My mom who doesn't really understand tennis shed a few tears with me last night as we watched Iga receive her flowers and being announced the new world #1. 

We both got to feel some rare Polish pride, living far away from home and it felt wonderful. 

So thank you Iga. 

And I cannot wait to see what else you'll accomplish before this year is through.

Ash Barty retirement rocks tennis world Iga Swiatek & WTA players react

MIAMI – She didn’t know it at the time – none of us did, really – but the last shot of Ashleigh Barty’s career missed Danielle Collins by only a few feet. It was a forehand cross-court winner and it sealed a straight-sets victory for Barty in the Australian Open final.


Fifty-two days later, the World No.1 announced her retirement at the age of 25. Collins was in bed when she learned the news Tuesday just after 10 p.m. local time.

The Barty bombshell dominated the Hologic WTA Media Day discussion at Hard Rock Stadium as a handful of top players expressed their support for the three-time major champion.

Barty has reigned as world No.1 for 114 consecutive weeks now, leaving No.2 Iga Swiatek as her immediate successor. Predictably, Swiatek responded to the news with tears.

“You already know that I like to cry, so I was crying for a long time,” Swiatek said. “I mean, there was lot of confusion in me, for sure. But also sadness because when I think of the player that is really complete in terms of physicality, mentality, tennis-wise, I always thought of Ash and I always looked up to her. I mean, I still do.

“It would be really nice also to be able to compete against her for the next few years and actually try to play better and better, to be able to beat her slice. We’re going to miss her, for sure.”

Each and every one of the 11 questions posed to the 20-year-old concerned Barty. Swiatek was also in bed, in her Miami apartment, when a team member knocked on her door and told her to put her laptop down.

“I was already scared,” Swiatek said. “They said it may be possible that I’m going to be world No.1. Honestly, when we really thought about the situation and when we read all the news, all the rules that may apply, we realized there's no sense to actually think about that right now because we have such a short time to prepare for another tournament. We’ve got to stay focused on our work.”

This bears watching as the tournament unfolds; if the seeds hold, Swiatek could face No.14 Coco Gauff in the round of 16 and Garbiñe Muguruza in the quarterfinals. Barty’s epic slice backhand? Swiatek said she spent two weeks of her off-season training working on her slice – and how to better defend it.

Much in the manner of Serena Williams, Barty took the time to nurture her non-tennis life. She took three extended breaks over the years – in retrospect, a series of significant clues to her ultimate departure – and won a major after each one.

How did the 18-year-old Gauff process Barty’s announcement?

“I mean, actually, I can’t say that word,” she said. “I was going to say that’s such a savage move. I was going to say something else, but I can’t. I obviously wish Ash the best. I was definitely surprised this morning when I saw it. I’m glad she was able to retire on her own terms, not due to injury or something.”

Raducanu, still only 19, said she wants to stay in the game as long as possible, into her 30s if possible. She’s sorry to miss the opportunity to play her even once.

“I feel like it would be such a good challenge for me because it’s so different to what you kind of see out there on the tour,” Raducanu said. “I really wanted to play her. Yeah, maybe like in the [Legends event] or something.”

This drew laughter from the gathered reporters. So did Swiatek’s answer of no – when asked if she had any intention of retiring.

On a serious note, Barty’s retirement focused on happiness – a lesson the players said they found valuable.

“Actually she’s even saying that she doesn’t expect people to understand that because it’s a pretty unusual situation,” Swiatek said. “I really respect and I really think she’s brave that she has made this decision because with all the expectations around, I think that’s an example not only for us tennis players or other athletes, but every person that they should put their own happiness [first].

“For sure winning against Ash someday would be something very special for me. On the other hand, there are many players who I have great competition against. We’re not going to be bored.”

wtatennis.com

Out of all the things I expected to happen in Miami or tennis is general this week, this was definitely not on the list. 

As many have said happy for Ash, but gutted for tennis and the missed rivalries we'll never get to see now. 

All the players Iga included who won't get the chance to measure themselves against the best in the game.

On top of that Iga Swiatek has a chance to make history by becoming the first Polish world #1.

I was ecstatic when Iga became world number 2 after last week. To think she could be world #1 after her first match today in Miami is mind bugling. 

I just hope she doesn't allow that fact to get into her head too much, so she doesn't add all this extra pressure on herself. 

With the top half of the draw completely decimated (13 seeds out before the weekend) 3 withdrew with injury. Halep, Muguruza among them; I'm trying not to get too excited because I know Miami has different conditions. and the first match is always the hardest. 

But if Iga handles the conditions well, and keeps a cool head. Could be another wonderful tournament for her. But again taking it one match at a time. 

Iga Swiatek is the first Polish Indian Wells Champion!

 

Iga Swiatek’s dominance at the WTA 1000 events this season continues unabated, as the No.3 seed from Poland defeated No.6 seed Maria Sakkari of Greece 6-4, 6-1 on Sunday to win the 2022 BNP Paribas Open.

After winning her fifth Hologic WTA Tour singles title of her career, and her second consecutive title, Swiatek will rise to a new career-high position of World No.2 in Monday’s upcoming singles rankings.

Swiatek is the first Polish woman to claim the title at Indian Wells, surpassing the result by 2014 BNP Paribas Open runner-up Agnieszka Radwanska. Swiatek will also tie former World No.2 Radwanska as the highest-ranked Polish player in history.

Spotless Swiatek: With the win, Swiatek becomes the first woman to reach 20 match-wins this season. Swiatek’s victory also marks her career-best 11th straight match-win on the Hologic WTA Tour, with that streak coming at the first two WTA 1000 events of the season.

Swiatek claimed the title last month at the WTA 1000 Qatar TotalEnergies Open in Doha. By backing that crown up at her next event in Indian Wells, she improves to an undefeated 11-0 at WTA 1000-level so far this year.

With her 80-minute win over Sakkari, Swiatek continues to steamroll through championship matches. In her last five finals, all of which she won, Swiatek has dropped only a combined 16 games. Sunday's 6-4, 6-1 scoreline is exactly the same as it was in her 2020 Roland Garros final, where she won her first career title.

Swiatek had gone 0-3 in her first three meetings against Sakkari, all coming in 2021. But since then, the Pole has won their last two encounters, during her WTA 1000 title runs in Doha and Indian Wells this season.

Words from the champion: "At the beginning of the tournament, I wouldn't even think about winning, honestly," Swiatek said in her post-match press conference. "Of course you have to believe in yourself, but I'm a realistic person.

"Winning after playing so well in Doha is giving me a lot of confidence and kind of belief that I can do it...I wouldn't think of myself as someone who's ready to play two tournaments in a row and win it. For sure hard work is paying off.

"[Sakkari and I are] stepping a similar path, looking at rankings and looking at what we've been playing for the last couple of years. Paula Badosa, Anett [Kontaveit] and Ons Jabeur, I don't want to forget anybody, but I think we kind of started playing, Top 10 tennis at the same time.

"[The World No.2 ranking is] pretty surreal for now. I have to look at it and I have to check the rankings by myself and just see it. Right now it's too surreal to describe it, honestly....But for sure I want to go higher because I feel like getting No. 1 is closer and closer."

Sakkari surging: Despite the loss, Sakkari can look back on this week with satisfaction, having reached the biggest final of her career with a maiden trip to a WTA 1000 final.

Sakkari will improve to a new career-high ranking on Monday as well, rising to World No.3. She will match current ATP pro Stefanos Tsitsipas’s career-high ranking of No.3, tying him for the highest-ranked Greek player in history, female or male.

"I can't believe there's only two girls above me right now," Sakkari said after the final. "Whoever followed my steps the last couple of years, they know what that means to me.

"I'm very proud that myself and Stefanos have actually grown tennis in Greece. Having two players in that ranking position is something huge for us. I'm going to say it again, but I'm very proud of myself this week."

Tale of the match: Returners had the advantage on a gusty day in Indian Wells, with six of the first seven games going against serve. However, Swiatek got a handle on returning the Sakkari second serve, where she won 14 of 16 points in that set. Swiatek used that to her advantage in the final game, breaking for the one-set lead.

Sakkari fended off two break points in the second game of the second set, and the Greek used sterling forehand returns in the following game to push Swiatek to three deuces. But Swiatek battled her way to a hold for 2-1, and from there, the Pole began to race through the rest of the match.

Combining outstanding deep groundstrokes with excellent defending, Swiatek survived the blustery conditions, winning the final five games of the match to take the champion’s trophy. Swiatek notched six service breaks on the day to triumph in the Top 10 showdown.

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Like Iga herself I'm still kind of speechless at the moment. 

What a run and what a record this young woman continues to have in finals.  Awe inspiring really. 

On another windy day it was Iga who not only handled her emotions and nerves better, but the conditions as well. 

The first Polish woman to ever win Indian Wells which many consider the 5th Grand Slam. And now the new world #2. Something only Agnieszka Radwanska previously achieved (and was a lot older as well).

I'm just bursting with Polish pride at the moment. Gonna be on cloud nine for at least a week, or until Iga returns to the court once more. 

Which looks to be Miami next week. I'm honestly surprised thought for sure Iga would decide to get some well deserved rest (wouldn't shock me if she does decide to withdraw after the weekend). 

On the other hand when you're on a roll and riding a winning wave I can also understand  not wanting to stop. 

What a year Iga is having honestly. 

5th career title all before she even turns 21 (in May). 2 WTA Masters 1000 titles back to back, and 3rd overall. Extraordinary. 

Congratulations Iga, you have been invincible on hardcourts and it's been a pleasure to watch you grow and  improve with every match this season.  Enjoy the fruits of all of your hard work. 

Onward to the next one. Jazda! ♥♥

Iga Swiatek bests Halep to make the final at Indian Wells

No.3 seed Iga Swiatek extended her winning streak to 10 straight victories on the Hologic WTA Tour with a 7-6(6), 6-4 semifinal win over 2015 Indian Wells champion Simona Halep. Swiatek advanced to the BNP Paribas Open championship match for the first time.


On Friday night, Poland's Swiatek came back from a break down in each set — saving two set points in the first-set tiebreak to boot — as she notched the 1-hour and 49-minute win and leveled her head-to-head with No.24 seed Halep of Romania to 2-2.

A perfect 10 at 1000s: Swiatek's current run has come at the uppermost level of the Hologic WTA Tour's calendar. The entirety of her 10-match winning streak has occurred at the first two WTA 1000 events of the season, having won the title at WTA 1000 Doha last month.

Swiatek had to fight back from a set down in her first three matches this week, but she has now picked up two straight-set wins in a row, with her latest win over Halep following a 6-1, 6-0 dismissal of Madison Keys in the quarterfinals.

In just her second appearance at the BNP Paribas Open, Swiatek has blasted her way to the final as the tour's match-win leader. Swiatek has prevailed in 19 matches overall this season, with semifinal results at the Australian Open and Adelaide backing up her Doha crown.

World No.4 Swiatek is guaranteed to hit a new career-high ranking of World No.2 or No.3 following her exploits in the desert this fortnight, depending upon the results of the remaining matches.

Swiatek is the second Polish player to reach the Indian Wells final, following Agnieszka Radwanska, who finished as runner-up to Italy's Flavia Pennetta in 2014.

Thoughts from Iga: "[The match against Halep] was the toughest one," Swiatek said, looking back on her tournament so far. "Even though I was losing the first set sometimes [earlier in the fortnight], I still felt like I had a little bit more control over how the match is going.

"Today I had to come back from some breaks as well, so I think mentally it was the toughest one. Also coming back in that tiebreaker, it cost me a lot of energy, for sure. ... I think I would say it was the most exciting one probably, if I was watching it."


Tale of the match: Incredible forehands by Halep gave the Romanian a love break for a 4-2 lead, but she could not serve out the set at 5-4 as Swiatek slammed a forehand winner of her own on break point to reach parity at 5-5.

After two love holds, a tiebreak commenced, where Halep held two set points at 6-4. But a Swiatek volley put her level at 6-6, and at 7-6 the Pole blasted a forehand return winner to convert her first set point. Swiatek won the final four points of the breaker.

In the second set, Halep won three games in a row to take another 4-2 lead, but once again the Swiatek return game clicked into top gear. Another forehand return winner on break point at 4-4 gave Swiatek a third straight game and a chance to serve for the match, which she took with aplomb.

All told, Swiatek took charge when returning the Halep second serve, claiming exactly two-thirds of those points (14 of 21) to earn her five service breaks and clinch the closely-contested victory.

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So that's 10 consecutive wins, 19th for the year, 2nd straight WTA 1000 final, chance at a 3rd on Sunday, and 5th WTA title overall. Oh, and a chance at world #2 ranking.

It doesn't get better than that!. Absolutely stunning. 

What a year Iga Swiatek is having. 

It was not an easy match by any means every time Iga got a break Simona got it beck forcing Iga to play behind for the majority of the match. 

But her return record this year continued to impress and she managed to level the match each time. It was nerve-wrackingly exhilarating. 

Her opponent in the final will once again be Maria Sakkari who she finally beat for the first time in Doha 2 weeks ago.  

Like the semi final, I don't expect this one to be easy, Sakkari has a great serve and will get even more balls back than Simona. 

If Iga can find a way to dictate the match with aggression the way she did in Doha it'll make things easier. 

But hard to say whether that will be possible given the desert conditions of Indian Wells. And may also depend on what time of day they end up playing. Which I think will be afternoon. 

Hot, humid conditions will equal fast ball movement therefore probably easier first serves.

Sakkari does have a tendency to get tight in big matches (she was after all 5/1 up against Kontaveit in the Doha semis), but having gotten over her 0-4 record in WTA 1000 semi-finals with win over defending champion Paula Badosa might help her relax. 

It might come down to who handles their emotions and nerves better in the important moments. the only thing I'm certain of is that it'll be one hell of a final on Sunday!. 

Jazda!

Iga Swiatek ousts Keys faces Halep in Indian Wells semis

No.3 seed Iga Swiatek of Poland won her ninth consecutive match — all coming at WTA 1000 events — with a 6-1, 6-0 dismissal of No.25 seed Madison Keys of the United States in the BNP Paribas Open quarterfinals on Wednesday evening.

With the 56-minute victory over Keys, Swiatek advances into an eye-catching semifinal against 2015 BNP Paribas Open champion Simona Halep. Halep defeated Petra Martic 6-1, 6-1 in the tournament's first quarterfinal.

Swiatek and Halep have met three times previously, all at Grand Slam events. Halep dispatched Swiatek at 2019 Roland Garros, Swiatek avenged that loss the very next year at Roland Garros, and Halep claimed a three-set victory at last year's Australian Open.

Sweeping through the draws: Swiatek is this year's tour leader in match-wins, with her triumph over Keys being her 18th of the season. Swiatek is still undefeated at WTA 1000 events in 2022, having claimed the title at the first  WTA 1000 tournament of the year in Doha.

The straight-sets win over Keys marks a departure for Swiatek this fortnight, as the Pole needed to come back from a set down in each of her three previous matches in Indian Wells. But Swiatek was determined from the jump against Keys, improving to 2-0 against the American (4-0 in sets).

Swiatek be\comes the first player to reach the semifinals or better at four events this season. Along with her title run at Doha, she reached the semifinals at the Australian Open and the Adelaide International 1.

Words from the winner: "I felt really comfortable," Swiatek said, after her fastest win of the event. "I'm also trying to get some fun as well from matches which are tight. Before where I felt stressed, I couldn't really make that fun. But right now I'm more focused on finding solutions and I want every match to be a lesson for me.

"I think Ash Barty has this kind of mindset. When she feels like the match is really tight, she treats it like a great experience because she can find solutions, actually be focused on that. It's a great challenge for her. I'm also trying to find fun when I'm playing, when the score is pretty tight."

Key moments: Swiatek reeled off the first five games of the match and was inches away from a first-set bagel before Keys fended off a set point with a backhand winner and held for 5-1.

Keys put up a stern effort in the next game, holding her only break point of the day, but Swiatek gritted through a tough game, converting her fourth set point and grasping the one-set lead.

Swiatek did get her bagel in the second set, dominating with her heavy groundstrokes and forcing errors from big-hitting Keys. The sturdy forehand which has brought Swiatek so much success this year ended the affair, as a winner from that side on her second match point put the Pole into her first Indian Wells semifinal.

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I said in my previous post I hoped playing at night works out to her advantage, and boy did it ever. 

That makes 4 semi finals for Iga already this year. Outstanding. 

She came out storming and never stopped it was mighty impressive. 

I was beyond happy she finally got it done in straight sets especially once I knew she would play Simona Halep next. 

Iga knew it too as she mentioned in her post match interview she was a bit tired after 3 consecutive 3 setters so wanted to be done quicker.

You need your energy when you play Simona because there'll undoubtedly be a lot of running involved. 

Now Iga gets a day off insuring she'll have plenty of time to recover and be ready for her biggest challenge yet this tournament. 

Can't wait!.  

Jazda Iga!

Iga Swiatek claims another comeback & first win over Kerber at Indian Wells

For the third straight time this fortnight, Iga Swiatek found herself a set down at the BNP Paribas Open. And for the third straight time, the No.3 seed from Poland found a way to storm back for a come-from behind victory.

Swiatek maneuvered to a 4-6, 6-2, 6-3 victory over former World No.1 and fellow Grand Slam champion Angelique Kerber of Germany, in their first meeting.

Not only was Swiatek once more down a set, but she also had to charge back from a break down in the third set before booking a spot in the first Indian Wells quarterfinal of her career.

Words from the winner: "For sure it was really hard playing against her," said Swiatek. "She's such an experienced player.

"At the end I think I made the right decisions in the right time, in the right moments of the match. I'm pretty happy about that because in important moments in second and third [sets], I was winning points. That's the most important thing."

"Obviously you learn from that first set and you can use that. I think I'm doing that pretty well. But for sure my goal is to win every set. On my next match, I'm going to be ready to win that first one."

On a roll: 2020 Roland Garros champion Swiatek took 2 hours and 8 minutes to knock out 15th-seeded Kerber, who has three Grand Slam titles to her credit and was the BNP Paribas Open runner-up in 2019 (falling to Bianca Andreescu in that final).

Like she had in her two preceding matches this week against Anhelina Kalinina and Clara Tauson, Swiatek had to battle back from a one-set deficit. But Swiatek prevailed to extend her winning streak to eight victories in a row -- her most consecutive wins since last year's clay-court season.

This current winning streak has all come at WTA 1000 events, where she still is yet to suffer a loss this season. In the first WTA 1000 event of the year, Swiatek claimed the title in Doha, defeating Anett Kontaveit in the final.

Swiatek leads the tour in overall victories in 2022, with 17 match-wins on tour this season. This latest victory over Kerber is also her 15th career win over a Top 20 player, and her fourth against that group so far this year.

Match moments: After an early exchange of breaks, Kerber took charge in the first set with a break for 3-2 after two straight double faults by Swiatek. Kerber let a 5-2 double-break lead slide back to 5-4, but the German held on to capture the one-set lead.

In the second set, a run of five straight breaks put Swiatek ahead 4-2, and the Pole ended that streak with a commanding love hold to take a sturdy 5-2 lead. In the next game, Swiatek drew errors from Kerber to clinch another service break and tie up the match.

Swiatek started the third set with two more love holds, but Kerber still struck first in the decider, slamming a backhand winner to break for 3-2. However, Swiatek regrouped and finished off a rally with a forehand winner on break point in the very next game, reclaiming parity.

That unlocked a dominant run for Swiatek, who held at love once more, then earned another break of the Kerber serve to lead 5-3. An unreturnable serve closed out the match in the next game, and Swiatek had once again pulled off a three-set comeback.

Keys awaits in quarterfinals: Swiatek will now take on No.25 seed Madison Keys of the United States in the elite eight. Keys powered past British qualifier Harriet Dart 6-1, 6-4 in just over an hour to notch a BNP Paribas Open quarterfinal spot for the first time in her career.

Swiatek won her only previous meeting with Keys in straight sets, en route to the title on the clay courts of Rome last year.

    wtatennis.com

Boy, Iga just loves those 3 set comebacks in the desert doesn't she? :D 

That's 8 straight wins now for Iga, I certainly hope she gets the first set tomorrow against Madison Keys. 

Girl needs a straight sets win. 

She may be twenty but that's gotta be tiring, mentally especially. First night match of the tournament for her as well, I really hope it's not windy and works to her advantage. 

Jazda Iga!

Iga Swiatek reaches 4th round at Indian Wells for the 2nd straight year

Iga Swiatek fought back from a set down for the second straight match as she powered past rising teen Clara Tauson at the BNP Paribas Open on Sunday.

No.3 seed Iga Swiatek of Poland made it into the Round of 16 at the BNP Paribas Open for the second straight year after notching a comeback win over No.29 seed Clara Tauson of Denmark, 6-7(3), 6-2, 6-1.

Swiatek, 20, has now reached the Round of 16 in both of her appearances at Indian Wells, following her tournament debut last year. But the World No.4 needed 2 hours and 18 minutes to hold off surging 19-year-old Tauson, who was playing in her first BNP Paribas Open main draw.

Winning streak continues: With the win over Tauson, Swiatek has won her seventh straight match, and is undefeated at WTA 1000 events so far this season. Swiatek won the first WTA 1000 event of the year in Doha last month.

Swiatek also had to fight back from a set down in her opening round against Anhelina Kalinina, but in both matches, the Polish star came back from a close first-set loss to dominate in sets two and three.

2022 Australian Open semifinalist Swiatek has now won 17 matches so far in the season, which leads the Hologic WTA Tour this year. The Pole still has a chance to break into the Top 3 of the rankings for a new career-high after the event, depending upon results for the rest of the fortnight.

Iga speaks: "I'm pretty happy that I was able to come back again this season from one set down," Swiatek said, in her post-match press conference. "I felt like physically I'm really well prepared and I could use all my strengths, even after two hours of playing. So I'm pretty proud of that.

"The placement of [Tauson's] serve is pretty smart. It's sometimes hard to predict where she's going to serve and she's serving pretty fast, so that was tricky.

"I think you have to put pressure on her too because she likes being aggressive as well and playing fast, and her hand is pretty strong. I feel like she was hitting full power sometimes when I didn't put much pressure on her. So I need[ed] to do that."

Tale of the match: An hour-long opening frame saw Swiatek cede a break lead of 4-2 to teenage Tauson, and the Dane took advantage of her opportunity, excelling on returns to sweep the final four points of the first-set tiebreak.

But Swiatek came out on a mission in the second set, increasing her power and reaping a quick 4-1, double-break lead thanks to her big hitting. At 5-2, a forehand winner gave Swiatek her first set point, which she converted with an unreturnable serve.

2020 Roland Garros champion Swiatek dominated in the decider as well, once again going up by two breaks to 4-1. This time around, she earned a third straight break for good measure, reeling off the last six games of the affair to clinch victory.

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Iga Swiatek leads loaded Charleston entry list

The Credit One Charleston Open will welcome five of the Hologic WTA Tour's Top 10 when it celebrates its 50th edition in April. Among the players will be 2020 Roland Garros champion No.4 Iga Swiatek, who will begin her clay-court preparations. This year's entry list also includes 2021 Indian Wells champion Paula Badosa, 2021 WTA Finals champion and former No.1 Garbiñe Muguruza and Tunisian trailblazer Ons Jabeur. The WTA 500 event begins on Apr. 2.

"I just wanted to see Charleston, basically," Swiatek told reporters in Indian Wells when asked why she has opted to start her clay season immediately after the Miami Open. "After the clay season last year, I was kind of annoyed that I only played three tournaments on clay and it didn't seem like a lot. So this year I wanted to try to play more. We're planning to play everything but we're going to see how my body is going to cope and if we're going to prepare properly. Doing that the smart way is the most important thing."

This year, the event will be played in the newly renovated Credit One Stadium on Daniel Island. Including Swiatek and Muguruza, seven major champions are entered, including 2017 Roland Garros champion Jelena Ostapenko, two-time major champions Simona Halep and Petra Kvitova, Sloane Stephens, and Sofia Kenin, who has received a main draw wildcard. Overall, the entry list includes 28 of the tour's Top 50, including Australian Open finalist Danielle Collins, US Open finalist Leylah Fernandez, Olympic champion Belinda Bencic and 2019 champion Madison Keys.

"We couldn’t be more excited to welcome Iga to Charleston for the first time and welcome Petra and Karolina back," Tournament Director Bob Moran said. "Karolina is coming off an injury that delayed her start of the year so we’re eager to see her back on court. We knew once we convinced Petra to join us here in our beautiful city, she would be returning on a regular basis. We believe we’ll have the same effect on Iga in April.

"Our new player facilities and stadium will be second to none and we are confident that all of our players will be blown away with the investment and commitment our ownership has made on behalf of women’s tennis.”

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Iga Swiatek fights off nerves of expectation to reach Indain Wells 3rd round

The highest seed remaining in the top half of the BNP Paribas Open draw following the pre-tournament withdrawal of Barbora Krejcikova, Iga Swiatek, too, was a set away from being bundled out of the tournament.

After dropping an opening set to Ukraine's Anhelina Kalinina that saw seven combined service breaks, the No.3 seed reset and rallied with aplomb: she lost just one game the rest of the way to advance to the third round, 5-7, 6-0, 6-1.

"I think at the beginning, I was too focused on the conditions. I was a little bit distracted by what was going on with the wind ... I had to find my rhythm, and in the second set, I did that," Swiatek said on-court after the match.

"I'm pretty happy that I could turn my hat on to 'fight mode' and really stSwiatek was unable to turn leads of 3-1 and 4-2 into a one-set lead, as Kalinina won five of the last six games to steal the opener. However, the World No.50's serve remained under pressure in the next two sets, and Swiatek

The early stages of the second set proved the most competitive, as Swiatek was forced to save five break points in her first two service games. Kalinina had two chances to break in the first game to extend her lead, and later, three chances to get back on serve at 2-0.

Highlights: Swiatek def. Kalinina

Swiatek, who reached the fourth round in Indian Wells last year in her tournament main-draw debut, next faces either No.29 seed Clara Tauson of Denmark or Brazil's Beatriz Haddad Maia. ay focused, because that was the key."

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