Iga Swiatek thanks crowd for ‘extra energy’ as she smashes Daria Kasatkina

RIYADH – Poland’s world No. 2 Iga Swiatek, being a five-time Grand Slam champion, has the experience to go into every match knowing that she has to do her best, even if a victory does not guarantee her progress.

That was the situation on Nov 7, as she battled against Russia’s Daria Kasatkina in the WTA Finals group stage.

The Pole did not let the permutations cloud her mind, and she displayed such intensity that she won 6-1, 6-0 in just 51 minutes.

It was the fastest match at this edition of the season-ending tournament.

Swiatek got the Riyadh crowd cheering for her, and even during her post-match interview, they were shouting “Iga, Iga!”

“As usual, thank you guys for the support. It means a lot. You guys give me extra energy to compete. Thank you for being with me,” said the 23-year-old.

She won an impressive 51 of 74 points and broke Kasatkina’s serve five times. In the end, it was not enough for a semi-final spot after Barbora Krejcikova defeated Coco Gauff 7-5, 6-4 in the later match.

Krejcikova will meet Zheng Qinwen in the last four, with Gauff taking on Aryna Sabalenka.

But even if she did not advance, Swiatek can be proud of the way she fought against Kasatkina.

Swiatek was initially scheduled to play against Jessica Pegula, but the American withdrew from the competition in Riyadh with a left knee injury, the organisers announced on Nov 6.

A runner-up at the WTA Finals in 2023, Pegula lost her opening two matches in Saudi Arabia in straight sets and had no chance of advancing to the semi-finals.

“I’ve just been struggling with a little bit of an injury and for whatever reason, it really flared up this week. Not really sure why,” explained the 30-year-old.

“In the few days before practice, it felt really, really good, but it started creeping up right before my first match.

“I’m not feeling comfortable moving on court, so I just wanted to make the decision to unfortunately pull out.”

Earlier on Nov 6, Kazakhstan’s Elena Rybakina claimed a consolation 6-4, 3-6, 6-1 victory over world No. 1 Sabalenka, who had already secured her semi-final spot.

Rybakina, with two losses, finally found her form against Sabalenka – a much-needed confidence boost for the world No. 5 after missing the majority of the second half of the season with allergies, insomnia and a back injury.

“It was a tough match and I’m really happy that I managed to win. I think it’s nice to finish the year at least with one win against the world No. 1,” said the Kazakh, who shared a warm embrace with Sabalenka at the net.

It was only the second loss Sabalenka has suffered in her last 24 matches.

In separate news, Greek star Stefanos Tsitsipas believes the decision to extend several Masters 1000 events from one week to two is having a detrimental effect on players and tournaments alike.

His appraisal echoes that of former world No. 1 Andy Roddick, who earlier this week criticised the change in format by saying: “They’re so stupid, they’re so dumb, it’s the worst.”

In 2024, five of the nine Masters events – the most important tournaments after the Grand Slams – were played over two weeks, with plans to expand the playing fields in Toronto and Cincinnati in 2025.

“The two-week Masters 1000s have turned into a drag,” Tsitsipas, a three-time champion in Monte Carlo, which is still held over one week, wrote on his X account.

“The quality has definitely dropped. Players aren’t getting the recovery or training time they need, with constant matches and no space for the intense work off the court.”

Tsitsipas lost last week to eventual champion Alexander Zverev in the quarter-finals of the Paris Masters, the last event of its kind on the calendar.

While Indian Wells and Miami are long-standing two-week tournaments, Tsitsipas said making what was once the exception now commonplace – with Madrid, Rome and Shanghai also spread over 12 days of competition – is hurting the sport. AFP, REUTERS