Emotional Iga Swiatek treasures first win on home soil

World No 1 Iga Swiatek finally won the BNP Paribas Warsaw Open, her home event, on Sunday by defeating Laura Siegemund 6-0, 6-1 to claim her fourth championship of the year.

Swiatek won the match and adding to victories this year at Doha, Stuttgart, and Roland Garros. She also added her 15th career championship to her collection while breaking her hometown duck.

She says that the emotional strain of playing at home makes it very hard for her to play her way in Warsaw.

“I want to thank my team and my family,” Swiatek said in her winner’s speech on court in front of a delighted home crowd.

“It’s not easy to play in Warsaw, but I’m so happy that we could manage and do everything we could today, after a pretty tiring day yesterday.

“I wanted to put it all in and go for it. I’m pretty happy that I did.”

Swiatek hailed Siegemund’s effort for the week which will seet the world No 153 rise more than 40 places in the rankings.

“Laura, what you did yesterday was pretty surreal. I don’t know if anyone would be able to survive that, but you did,” she said. “Congratulations for this run, because it’s been a pretty great week, and it’s nice that we could play this final.”

Swiatek defeated Yanina Wickmayer in her semifinal round, 6-1, 7-6(6), before facing Siegemund.

Swiatek led 5-2 and had three match points at 5-3 in the second set when  play was stopped on Saturday night due to bad light.

She was  two points away from being forced to a third set when play resumed but fended off the German’s threat.

Swiatek would need three more match points though in the tiebreak after nearly blowing a 5-1 lead on her way to winning in a tiebreak.

Unfortunately for those hoping for a tight match in the final, Siegemund just couldn’t find her feet and was quickly blown away which left her in awe of Swiatek.

The German looked off the pace and joked that she left her legs in her hotel room.

“I’m sorry I couldn’t put up more of a battle today, but it was a little bit too much yesterday,” Siegemund said in her runner-up speech. “I tried my best, but the legs, they stayed at the hotel today.

“But for me, it was really a great success anyway … it was almost a win for me to be a final at all. It’s been a long time. On such a great stage with such great spectators … I just enjoyed it.”

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