Iga Swiatek surfs to San Diego title: Incredible stats from incredible year for world No 1
The titles keep rolling in for Iga Swiatek as the world No 1 came from behind to beat Donna Vekic in the San Diego Open final to win yet another trophy in a spectacular 2022 season.
Just a week after losing her first final in more than three years after going down in three sets against Barbora Krejcikova in Ostrava, it was business as usual for Swiatek as she won her eighth title of the year.
The Pole again had to go to three sets, but this time she ended up victorious as she defeated qualifier Vekic 6-3, 3-6, 6-0 in one hour and 47 minutes in California.
Slidetek magic 💫@iga_swiatek | #SanDiegoOpen pic.twitter.com/QRe5rSs7cE
— wta (@WTA) October 17, 2022
The world No 1 broke in game six of the first set, but Vekic – who completed her semi-final against Danielle Collins on Sunday morning – returned the favour in the second set to keep her hopes of winning her first trophy of the season alive.
But Swiatek did what she does best: hand out bagels as she ran away with the match – and the title – with a third-set demolition job.
In fact, she surfed her way to the title as one of her prizes was a surfboard.
“I wanted to go all in,” Swiatek said about her effort in the third set. “Knowing how well she can serve, I just wanted to be more loosened up on my return games. Not think too much, use my intuition and fight for every ball.”
Incredible stats from incredible Iga Swiatek
Title No 8 in 2022
Iga Swiatek’s brilliant title-winning run started at the Qatar Open in February when she defeated Anett Kontaveit in the final. She has since added the Indian Wells Open, Miami Open, Stuttgart Open, Italian Open, French Open, US Open and San Diego Open trophies to her collection.
Her eighth title is also the most for any woman in a single WTA Tour season since Serena Williams collected 11 in 2013.
Swiatek now 11-2 in finals
Barbora Krejcikova became only the second player to beat Swiatek in a final in Ostrava last week with her only previous defeat in the Ladies Open Lugano back in April 2019.
Swiatek goes 64 not out
The 21-year-old is now up to 64 wins for the year when you add Billie Jean King Cup matches to her tally with only eight defeats. It is the most since Serena Williams won 78 in 2013.
Bagel factory fully operational
Swiatek has now handed out 21 bagels during the 2022 season and she could still match or beat Serena Williams who won 25 sets 6-0 back in yes, you guessed it, 2013.
Fun on American soil
The world No 1 has tasted defeat in only one match in the United States this year as she is 24-1 on American soil, winning four titles – including the US Open.
Madison Keys was the only player to beat her as the American collected a 6-3, 6-4 victory at the Cincinnati Masters in August.
Swaitek, of course, could still add to these incredible statistics as she has one tournament left, the WTA Finals in Fort Worth, Texas, starting on October 31.
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