Iga Swiatek further solidified her position as the top player in the WTA tour by winning her second Indian Wells title. She defeated the ninth seed, Maria Sakkari, 6-4, 6-0 in a dominant performance. This is Swiatek’s second WTA 1000 title this year, following her victory in Doha last month.
No other WTA player has achieved such an impressive record since Serena Williams held the No. 1 ranking. The 22-year-old has already claimed eight WTA 1000 titles, in addition to her four grand slam titles and first WTA Finals win last year, for a total of 19 titles overall. She also boasts an outstanding record in finals; out of her last 22, she has only lost three since her first final in 2019.
In recent years, a significant indicator of consistent excellence in sports has been winning 80% or more of a player’s matches. Currently, renowned players such as Serena Williams, Novak Djokovic, Roger Federer, and Rafael Nadal have all achieved this feat, as well as former top players Maria Sharapova and Venus Williams (until their less successful later years). Following her most recent triumph, teenager Iga Swiatek’s professional record is now 216 wins and 53 losses, exactly 80%.
Not only is the Pole winning significant titles so often and playing with consistency, these dominant, lopsided results have become common in her matches.
Due to her speed and powerful hits from both sides, as well as her relentless returns and agility, many top players struggle to match her performance when she is in top form.
In the final game, Swiatek dominated the ball with powerful shots and precise winners from all areas of the court. Sakkari also matched her intensity by using her impressive athleticism to track down as many balls as she could and aggressively attack from the baseline.
After losing 4 points to 4 in the beginning of the first set, Swiatek regained control over the baseline and elevated her performance. She then proceeded to win the next eight games, securing the championship title.
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While she did not perform well in the final match on Sunday afternoon, Sakkari still had a impressive tournament overall. In the past few months, she had lost confidence on the court and her career seemed to be at a standstill. However, she made the bold choice to end her partnership with her longtime coach from Britain, Tom Hill, and has since started working with David Witt, who recently ended his coaching relationship with Jessica Pegula. Sakkari’s improvement in this two-week span is proof of the positive impact of their collaboration.
Source: theguardian.com
