Iga Swiatek saves three match points to beat Sabalenka in Madrid Open final

MADRID (AP) — Iga Swiatek avenged her loss in final 12 months’s remaining to Aryna Sabalenka and received the Madrid Open on Saturday after a third-set tiebreaker.

The highest-ranked Swiatek beat No. 2 Sabalenka 7-5, 4-6, 7-6 (7) for her third title of the season. The 22-year-old Polish participant grew to become the youngest participant to achieve 20 titles since Caroline Wozniacki in 2012.

Swiatek confronted two match factors when she was struggling together with her serve at 5-6 within the third set. However she held on to pressure the tiebreaker, the place she saved a 3rd match level.

Swiatek collapsed on the crimson clay after Sabalenka hit lengthy to finish a match that lasted 3 hours, 11 minutes, the longest WTA remaining thus far in 2024. Every participant broke serve 5 instances.

“Who’s going to say that girls’s tennis is boring now?” Swiatek stated. “Congrats as nicely to Aryna as a result of we each had an incredible effort at this time.”

Swiatek will search her fourth French Open title later this month because the two-time defending champion at Roland Garros.

Swiatek improved her head-to-head document with Sabalenka to 7-3. She has received her final seven finals, since her loss to Sabalenka right here in 2023.

Sabalenka bought the higher of Swiatek final 12 months at Madrid in three units for the primary win over her rival on clay. The 2-time Australian Open champion was searching for a record-tying third title in Madrid.

“I had my alternatives,” Sabalenka stated. “I wouldn’t say that I sort of missed them or misplaced them. It was simply unbelievable play from her, and I feel that’s the lesson I’ve to study.”

Madrid was the one European clay-court match on the WTA 500 degree or above that Swiatek had but to win. Now her assortment is full.

On Sunday, Andrey Rublev performs Felix Auger-Aliassime within the males’s remaining.

___

AP tennis: https://apnews.com/hub/tennis