Krejcikova Triumphs in Epic
Barbora Krejcikova triumphed over world No. 1 Iga Swiatek in one of the matches of the season to take out the Agel Open at home in Ostrava, Czech Republic.
The match faced many momentum shifts throughout and after three hours and 16 minutes it was the Czech who prevailed 5-7, 7-6(4), 6-3 to hand Swiatek her first loss in a WTA final in three years.
"It was a big match, I think, for both sides. We played amazingly. We gave an amazing show to the fans, so I'm really happy with that and with the way I have performed," Krejcikova said after the match.
"It's always great to be a winner in your home country."
Krejcikova had to work hard to be a winner in her home country with Swiatek dominating early to take a 5-1 lead. The writing was on the wall but Krejcikova managed to fight back, eventually going down 5-7 in the opener. Now, she was in the match.
The Czech carried her momentum into the second and grabbed an early break to hit the front. However, Swiatek would come again to level the match at 4-4.
The set moved to a tiebreak and that’s where Krejcikova put her foot down, winning six of the first seven points to snuff out the three-time major champion.
Both women served the lights out to begin the final set, with neither offering a break point opportunity. That is until Swiatek stepped up to serve at 3-4. Krejcikova pounced that game and broke Swiatek to love, giving her the chance to serve for the title.
Krejcikova had only lost two points on serve in the final set but Swiatek was poised to make the Czech earn it. The final game went to deuce five times, with Krejcikova earning five match points before she was able to close out the contest.
"I was just telling myself to keep going," she said.
"She's a great champion. She's a great player, so I was expecting that she's not going to give it to me easy.
“So I was just like, 'Okay, keep going. It's going to be fine. You're going to you're going to get your chance. You're going to make it,' so that was my inner voice."
The title is Krejcikova’s second in a row as she looks to return to the top echelon of the rankings once more.
Mertens Back on Track
Elise Mertens finally hit her straps in 2022 with a resounding win over Alize Cornet in the inaugural Jasmin Open held in Monastir, Tunisia.
Mertens charged to her first title of the season with a 6-2, 6-0 demolition of the Frenchwoman in an hour and 16 minutes.
It’s a welcome return to the winners’ list for the former world No. 12, who had not even made a semifinal appearance in 2022 and had not won a title since claiming Melbourne’s Gippsland trophy in February 2021.
"It means a lot," Mertens said after her win.
"I had a pretty tough year. When they said I was in my first semifinal this year, I was like, ‘OK, it’s October, it’s never too late to start the year, or end the year with a good one.’ So I’m very happy about it.
"It gives you confidence, and it gives you a little boost for all the work that you do. Never stop believing, I guess, and I have my seventh title."
Mertens was simply on fire in the final and gave Cornet almost no chance. The Belgian claimed the final 11 games of the match in a canter. She only dropped three points on her first serve for the match and saved all three break points she faced.
Mertens should jump back into the top 40 in the rankings following her drought-breaking triumph.
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