Then a set and 3-0 up, the final seemed just another day in the office for Swiatek.Įxcept, Muchova wasn't done with her work yet. Under sustained pressure, she was broken early again in the second set after another forehand unforced error. Muchova, with her drops, volleys et al, was swift in her all-round court coverage but Swiatek’s steady game proved too good as she took the first set on a break to love.Īt 15-30 on the Swiatek serve to kick off the second set, Muchova lost a 19-shot rally to a wild wide forehand and stood visibly exhausted. The Czech, having a couple of break chances of her own, gradually began to grow in the fight. It didn’t help her that Swiatek showed little signs of an impending collapse, a couple of great returns and a cracking forehand winner handing her the break in Muchova’s first service game. 43 flaunting variety in her game and a record of five previous wins against top-three opponents, almost pulled off a shocking sixth only to crack in the end.Ĭoming off a three-hour turnaround miracle against second seed Aryna Sabalenka that left her physically drained, Muchova showed signs of sluggishness in the early moments of the final. 1 ranking intact, and as the first player since Justine Henin in 2007 to have successfully defended the French Open women’s singles title. Not since Serena Williams's three-title 2015 season has the women's game seen such sustained dominance from a single player in majors.įittingly, Swiatek will leave Paris with her world No. The 22-year-old now holds three of the last five Grand Slam titles, winding back to her French Open and US Open triumphs of last year. 1 defeated the spirited Czech 6-2, 5-7, 6-4 in a closely-contested women's singles final - a rarity at the Grand Slam stage in recent times - to defend her title in Paris on Saturday and collect (well, she did drop the Suzanne-Lenglen Cup in the ceremony) a fourth Grand Slam trophy of her career. Swiatek dropped a set after all but not the tag of the French Open holder. Like champions often do, the Pole responded to adversity. Karolina Muchova - a first-time Grand Slam finalist - though asked for a little plot twist, and Swiatek to play a rare third set from being a set and 3-0 up. Iga Swiatek won her third French Open title.(REUTERS)Ĭoming into the final of this French Open giving away 21 games and zero sets, Swiatek, now as a ruthless world No. 54 rookie three years ago, she did so without dropping a set and losing all of 28 games. When Iga Swiatek won her first French Open title as a world No.
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