Aryna Sabalenka defeats Iga Swiatek with impressive performance for second Madrid Open final win

Aryna Sabalenka continued her stunning 2023 form with an impressive win over world No. 1 Iga Swiatek in a high calibre top-two tussle that concluded with the Belarusian claiming the second Mutua Madrid Open title of her career.

No. 2 seed Sabalenka was the more aggressive player throughout the contest and deservedly upset the reigning French Open champion and clay-court specialist to prevail 6-3 3-6 6-3 in two hours and 25 minutes.

It is the 13th title of Sabalenka’s career and her second on the red dirt, which sees her join an elite group of players to win Madrid more than once alongside Petra Kvitova (3), Simona Halep (2) and Serena Williams (2).

The world’s top two players facing off regularly for the sport’s leading honours has been a rare sight on the WTA Tour recently with this being the first time since 2014 in Miami.

Remarkably, this was just the third occasion in the last four decades that the stars ranked one and two in the world were meeting twice on clay in the same season, with such statistics adding to the belief that this could yet transform into a very significant rivalry.

Sabalenka has enjoyed a breakthrough year so far backing up her a triumph at Adelaide 1 with a first Grand Slam title at the Australian Open and she made the most of faster conditions that she felt would make a difference to her game from the toils of Stuttgart, reeling off a succession of big winners to leave Swiatek on the back foot for the majority of the contest.

A lengthy first game set the tone for a rollercoaster encounter as Swiatek hit back from 40-15 down to test her opponent’s nerve at deuce early on, but Sabalenka stepped up with some explosive firepower when it mattered most and dug out the hold with a rasping backhand winner up the line.

Both players put together a succession of routine holds before the first big moment of the match arrived when a net cord affected Swiatek’s forehand swing leaving the Pole to cough up two break points at 3-2 down. The top seed responded with a scorching forehand and was then let off the hook at deuce as Sabalenka failed to find the court twice in quick succession.

The indication was clear that the Belarusian’s power was a source of real discomfort for Swiatek and a backhand attempt up the line slapped into the net in game eight to offer up another two break points.

Sabalenka was not to be denied on this occasion, however, as Swiatek hooked a crosscourt backhand wide to break herself on her opponent’s second opportunity. The world No. 2 then claimed her first set on clay against the two-time French Open champion – at the seventh time of asking – when she served out to 15 in 41 minutes.

Given that Swiatek was 23 matches unbeaten this year after winning the first set and had only lost one of her 49 career encounters on clay after taking the opener, it was clear that the early lead was key to Sabalenka’s hopes.

Three-time Grand Slam champion Swiatek inevitably conjured up an instant response in set two to surge into a 3-0 lead but Sabalenka continued to push her into defensive positions and broke back with another brutal winner after clocking up a succession of break points.

The Australian Open champion had tilted the scales back in her favour and threatened to make it four games in a row when she forced two further break points, but Swiatek scrapped her way through to a hard-fought hold. It would prove pivotal too as she took advantage of a sudden lull and some shaky backhands from her opponent to break immediately after that for a 5-3 lead, before serving out with the minimum of fuss to take the match into a decider.

The smart money would have been on Swiatek to race clear at this juncture but Sabalenka refused to budge, scrambling to a hold from deuce before securing the first break of the set when the top seed followed up a loose backhand with a forehand that missed the line by a whisker.

Swiatek had her chances to break straight back but her opponent outfoxed her at the net with a succession of cute volleys to win arguably the rally of the match and surge into a 3-0 lead.

The finish line was creeping up on the 2021 champion’s horizon, but she suddenly blinked with a horror-show of a service game to break herself to love via an ill-timed double fault.

Swiatek took full advantage to level at 3-3 but, in-keeping with the topsy-turvy nature of the match, Sabalenka came flying back and broke for a 5-3 lead with a pair of crunching forehands.

The No. 2 seed then served out for a tour-leading third title of the season on her fourth match point and improved her head-to-head against the Pole to 3-5 to light the touch paper for the rest of the season for a rivalry that could well decide who wins this year’s biggest prizes.

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