Aryna Sabalenka earns Iga Swiatek revenge to win Madrid Open
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Aryna Sabalenka of Belarus celebrates with her trophy after winning against Iga Swiatek of Poland.
PHOTO: EPA-EFE
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MADRID – Aryna Sabalenka defeated world No. 1 Iga Swiatek to win the Madrid Open in the pair’s second clash in a final this season, with the Belarusian saying that she hopes their burgeoning rivalry will continue to enthral tennis fans throughout the campaign.
The world No. 2 had lost all three previous meetings with her Polish opponent on clay, including a defeat in the Stuttgart final in April.
But she produced an aggressive performance on Saturday to win 6-3, 3-6, 6-3 and establish herself as a serious contender at the upcoming French Open.
Sabalenka had a 2-5 win-loss record against the Pole before Saturday’s win, with four of those losses coming in 2022.
“She always pushes me to the limits. I’m really enjoying our battles. Hopefully we can play many more finals this season,” she said.
“I would say that this year’s matches are completely different matches than it was last year. I improved a lot and I really want to win against her, because she’s such a great player.
“To have this win, especially on clay, that’s something unbelievable. I’m really happy that I’m able to fight against her and get these wins so it’s not super boring for people to watch our matches.”
Asked if their rivalry could be beneficial for the sport, the 25-year-old added: “I think women’s tennis needs this kind of consistency, to see world No. 1 and world No. 2 in the finals.
“I think it’s more enjoyable for fans to watch and it’s more intense... I think when people see these kind of finals, it makes them want to see this battle. That’s something amazing, and hopefully we can keep doing what we are doing this season.”
Sabalenka earned her 13th career title, and only her second on clay in 2hr 26min, clinching victory on her fourth championship point with a forehand cross-court winner.
Defending French Open champion Swiatek, meanwhile, admitted that the better player won in Madrid. “Congrats Aryna for an amazing match, you play such an intense tennis and every match is a challenge, so congrats, you deserve it,” she said.
The Pole also aimed a jab at the tournament organisers for some of the late nights over the past week, with matches regularly finishing in the early hours.
“It’s not fun to play at 1am though,” the 21-year-old added.
“I’m happy anyway I was able to get past this experience and survive and be in the final.”
The duo are next in action at the May 9-20 Italian Open in Rome, before travelling to Paris for the French Open, which begins on May 28. REUTERS, AFP
