Swiatek Defends Italian Open Title With 28th Straight Win | Sports News
By ANDREW DAMPF, AP Sports Writer
ROME (AP) – Iga Swiatek will go to the French Open in one run.
Top-ranked Swiatek defeated Ons Jabeur 6-2, 6-2 to defend his Italian Open title on Sunday and extended his winning streak to 28 games.
Swiatek was a surprise French Open champion in 2020 when he was ranked No. 54. Now the 20-year-old Polish player is the favorite to add a second Roland Garros title when the second-year Grand Slam begins next Sunday.
Swiatek has won five consecutive titles during his run.
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Jabeur is on his own with 11 straight wins entering the final after his Madrid Open title last week but the Tunisian’s deceptive game of drop shots and spins proved unmatched by fast pace. Swiatek’s movement and precise groundstroke.
Controlled by Swiatek from the start, Jabeur’s service was broken in the second half of the match with a mix of goodness and power.
Swiatek won a point in the second game with the forehand lob winner after drawing Jabeur forward with a well -placed drop shot, then on his first break point he took a big swipe on the second serve that Jabeur could not control.
Swiatek also maintained his calm when he saved four break points at a crucial point late in the second set, slid to reach a drop shot then responded with a nice backhand volley drop winner at the final break point after a 19-shot rally.
When a backhand from Jabeur landed on the net to end it, Swiatek plunged into the clay and covered his face with his hands as he bent towards the clay court.
The last player to win consecutive games was Justine Henin, who won 32 consecutive wins in 2007 and 2008. The highest consecutive consecutive games was Martina Navratilova, who had 74 runs in 1984. .
Swiatek’s last loss came in mid -February in Dubai to Jelena Ostapenko in a third -set tiebreaker. He has won 42 of the last 43 sets he has fought.
Later on the red clay court at Foro Italico, Novak Djokovic played Stefanos Tsitsipas in the men’s final.
During the women’s final, a fan held up a sign that read, “Kick politics out of tennis,” – an obvious reference to Wimbledon’s decision to ban players from Russia and Belarus because of the war in Ukraine. .
Swiatek played with a ribbon attached to his hat with the colors of the Ukrainian flag.
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