IGA Swiatek mounted a remarkable comeback to win the Korea Open title on Sunday, defeating Ekaterina Alexandrova 1-6 7-6(3) 7-5 in a thrilling final.
The world number two looked out of sorts in the opening set, committing several double faults and sending many shots long and wide.
Swiatek ironed out her errors and got a handle on her opponent’s game to wrap up victory after more than two and a half hours.
This marked the Pole’s third trophy of the year, adding to her triumphs at Wimbledon and the Cincinnati Open.
“Honestly, I don’t know how I won it, because you were just playing great,“ Swiatek told her opponent after the match.
Alexandrova took full advantage of Swiatek’s early struggles, breaking serve three times in the opening set to establish control.
The Russian found herself just two points away from victory at 6-5 in the second set but could not finish the match.
Swiatek took the set into a tiebreaker where she raced to a 3-0 lead and held on to force a deciding third set.
The final set featured another twist as Swiatek served three double faults in one game to gift Alexandrova a break.
Swiatek quickly brought the game back on serve and dialled up the intensity to complete her comeback victory.
The six-times Grand Slam champion hit a pinpoint forehand winner to snatch victory in the final game.
Swiatek joked that her win made up for her father Tomasz’s failure to win a medal with the Polish rowing team at the 1988 Seoul Olympics.
Alexandrova, who won the Korea Open in 2022, praised her opponent’s performance after the match.
“She’s such a great player and it’s always super difficult to play against her,“ the Russian said. – Reuters
