Good as she’s been this yr, Iga Swiatek got here to the US Open uncertain of what to anticipate.
She complained that girls use completely different, barely lighter, tennis balls than the boys do at Flushing Meadows, the place she’d by no means been previous the fourth spherical. She was attempting to develop accustomed to the noise and distractions, the hustle and bustle, of the Massive Apple. And he or she arrived with a report of simply 4-4 since her 37-match successful streak resulted in July.
None of that issues now after the No.1-ranked Swiatek outplayed No.5 Ons Jabeur 6-2 7-6 (7-5) in Arthur Ashe Stadium on Saturday to say her first championship on the US Open and third grand slam title total.
Swiatek’s lopsided victory improved her report in tour-level matches to 55-7 with seven trophies in 2022, each finest within the WTA.
The 21-year-old from Poland gained the French Open for the second time in June and is the primary lady since Angelique Kerber in 2016 to gather two main titles in a single season.
Jabeur, a 28-year-old from Tunisia, is the primary African lady and first Arab lady to achieve a grand slam remaining and was collaborating in her second in a row. However she is 0-2 at that stage, being the runner-up at Wimbledon in July.
Swiatek has gained her previous 10 finals — all in straight units — and was nice from the get-go.
Jabeur didn’t face a single break level in her semi-final victory in opposition to Caroline Garcia, however she bought damaged immediately when Swiatek laced a cross-court backhand winner off a brief ball to cap a 15-stroke alternate.
Eight minutes in, Swiatek had grabbed 12 of the primary 14 factors for a 3-0 edge.
When Jabeur, who will rise to No.2 within the rankings on Monday, did exhibit a few of what she will do, she made issues fascinating, briefly. However solely briefly.
After dropping the primary set 6-2, she bought to 4-all within the second and, after ending up on her again after an off-balance backhand gained a degree within the subsequent recreation, she stayed there, having fun with the second, pumping her fists whereas laying on the bottom.
Jabeur earned three break probabilities in that recreation, any one in all which might have allowed her to serve for the set. She couldn’t money in there, although, lacking a groundstroke on every.
Then, at 6-5 within the set, Swiatek held her first championship level as Jabeur served. Proper earlier than the purpose started, Swiatek jogged over to the sideline to vary rackets — an uncommon selection at that second.
Swiatek then missed a backhand, and Jabeur pushed issues to the tiebreaker and led it 5-4. However Swiatek took the final three factors and shortly was down on her again, a significant champ once more.
