BY JAMES BECK
Just call her Iga. No other identification is needed.
As the years go by, Iga’s notoriety is sure to grow.
She’s probably already earned a spot in tennis’ Hall of Fame.
Yes, Iga Swiatek is a name to remember. A hero in her native Poland, a superstar in the world of sports.
IGA WAS JUST TOO GOOD
Iga just added to her stardom Saturday with an impressive 6-2, 6-1 victory over little-known Italian Jasmine Paolini to win her third straight French Open title. This was Paolini’s chance to make a name for herself, but she didn’t have the game to make it happen.
Iga was just too good. She made it look too easy.
Paolini could hit some great ground strokes, but when she looked up a bigger shot was on its way back. Iga doesn’t look like a power hitter, but she is.
WINNING 10 CONSECUTIVE GAMES
The 23-year-old Polish Wonder finished the first set winning five straight games, then started the second set winning five more games in succession. The 28-year-old Paolini didn’t seem to have a clue on how to upend Swiatek.
It took just 78 minutes for Iga to win her fifth Grand Slam title.
She’s a lot like her French Open hero, Rafa Nadal.
She takes every match seriously.
SWIATEK OWNS THE RED CLAY
No wonder Iga owns a 35-2 record at Roland Garos. Or that she has won 21 straight matches. Or that she owns a 5-0 record in Grand Slam finals.
She only dominated opponents, except for Naomi Osaka in the second round. Swiatek escaped a match point in that one and didn’t look back.
Iga’s game should be just as superb on the green grass of upcoming Wimbledon.
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James Beck was the 2003 winner of the USTA National Media Award for print media. A 1995 MBA graduate of The Citadel, he can be reached at Jamesbecktennis@gmail.com.
