BY JAMES BECK
Iga Swiatek now knows why no one says Grand Slam singles titles are easy to win.
Sitting on a 6-2, 3-0 lead in Saturday’s French Open women’s final, the Polish Wonder might have been tempted to say, “Watch this.” A third French title in four years looked like a done deal to the fans.
But no one told Karolina Muchova, “It’s over.” No one dared after what the 26-year-old Czech player had done two days earlier against second-ranked Aryna Sabalenka in the semifinals.
SWIATEK PULLED A HAT TRICK
Muchova came back from match point and 2-5 in the third set of that semifinal match to advance to Saturday’s championship by winning 20 of the last 24 points against Sabalenka.
That was enough to open everyone’s eyes about the talented Czech player, even though she was ranked just 43rd in the world.
Muchova nearly did her part again. She never got to her own match point, but she was close. This time, Swiatek pulled the rabbit out of a hat trick to win the last three games for a 6-2, 5-7, 6-4 victory and her fourth Grand Slam title.
It all may have been because Swiatek became the first player to win her first seven sets in Grand Slam finals. The eighth Grand Slam final set got away from her even though she led it, 3-0. Thus, the win in the first set was crucial for Swiatek.
MUCHOVA BRILLIANT AT TIMES
The 5-11 Muchova simply became a different player three games into the second set, while Swiatek appeared to tighten up a bit.
This match was much like Swiatek’s semifinal against a similarly talented player to Muchova. That was Brazilian left-hander Beatriz Haddad Maia, who also gave Swiatek trouble with her remarkable athletic ability before Swiatek escaped in a 16-point second-set tiebreaker.
Swiatek couldn’t find a quick answer at times in both matches,
Muchova was brilliant at times with her total game, from surprise aces, to one-handed slice backhands, to strong two-handed backhands, great forehands, brilliant drop shots and athletic play at the net.
IGA OVERCAME HUGE OBSTACLES
If the often-injured Muchova can stay healthy, she may become an even larger threat than Sabalenka to Iga’s dominance at the top of the women’s game.
It was no surprise when Muchova double-faulted at match point to see Swiatek drop her racket, then drop down and cover her face.
She knew she had overcome huge obstacles in two straight matches to solidify her place at No. 1 in the world.
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James Beck was the 2003 winner of the USTA National Media Award. A 1995 MBA graduate of The Citadel, he can be reached at Jamesbecktennis@gmail.com.
