Top-Seede Iga Swiatek conquered a bad first set to beat Ekaterina Alexandrova, 1-6 7-6 (3) 7-5, in the final of the WTA 500 Korea Open Presented by Motiva on Sunday, a competition that she should probably have losed.
I am happy that I could win here because of the family history. My father could not win the Olympic Games [here]But at least I won this tournament. So hopefully he will come next year to enjoy everything. Iga Swiatek
Swiatek dropped her own serve 5 times, was converted 6-2 into Azen, produced 9 double errors and even won fewer points than Alexandrova during the tight match in the Seoul Olympic Park Tennis Center, which lasted almost three hours.
“First of all, I want to congratulate Ekaterina on a great week and a great final,” said the world no. 2 after that, in the trophy presentation. “To be honest, I don’t know how I won it because you played great and I just tried to stay alive.”
She praised the performance of the 11th ranking Russian, which was sown at No. 2 and was blazing to take the first set in just 30 minutes.
“Hopefully we will play more finals, because it is always difficult against you,” said Swiateek. “But it’s also entertaining.”
Iga Swiatek came to the second best in the competition statistics, but her coupling game at the important moments won the day against Ekaterina Alexandrova in the Seoul Olympic Park Tennis Center on Sunday
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Swiatek was surpassed by Alexandrova in almost every statistical category, and yet she had the upper hand in a debilitating 2 hours and 41 minutes to get her 3rd title of the season, and the 25th of her career, while the 24-year-old pole is now 25-5 always in WTA finales.
In the end it was the mentality of Swiateek ‘to stay alive’ that bypassed the competition, defined by razor-dune margins, apart from the LOP-sided opening set.
Alexandrova, the clear underdog, came out to take the first set in a convincing way, breaking Swiateek in the opening match and never watching back.
Swiatek turned the script to start the second and immediately broke Alexandrova, but the momentum shifted again when the Russian broke back in the next game.
They then acted in the tiebreak, where Swiateek finally seemed to have control for the first time in the game while jumping to a 3/0 lead, which she extended to 5/2 before she closes the set, 7/3, to force a decision -maker.
Early in the third, Swiatek Alexandrova handed a break with 3 double mistakes in one match, on the back 2-1, but she recovered, leveled the set at 3-All and took the lead for the second time in the game in the next game.
From there, the scoreboard pressure worked in favor of Swiatek, and while Alexandrova had to stay in the game, the pole set up the heat and shot a Cross-Court Forehand winner on her 2nd match point to set up her opponent and to close the remarkable stand win.
Korea Open Champion Iga Swiatek in addition to second place in Ekaterina Alexandrova pose with their trophies after the final in Seoul, South Korea
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Ondanks het verlies leidde Alexandrova bijna elke belangrijke stat: ze schoot meer azen, 6 tot 2, maakte minder dubbele fouten, 6 tot 9, een hoger first-serve percentage, 59% tot 53%, een hoger percentage eerste services gewonnen, 66% tot 58%, meer winnaars, 30 tot 23, weinig, minder dan 40, 25 tot 40 en een betere conversatie, 63% tot 43% tot 43% tot 43% tot 43% to 43% to 43% to 43% to 43% to 43% to 43% is remarkable that more total points have been won – 108 to 97.
However, Swiatek was simply more link in the moments that mattered the most, as when serving 5-4 in the second set, while Alexandrova was 2 points of the victory during the breaker, or when she followed a break in the third set.
It showed exactly why she once 125 weeks no.
For now, Swiatek will remain on no 2 in both the PIF WTA rankings and the race to the WTA final, but what is the most important thing to her at the moment is that she eventually supplied a lasting inheritance in Seoul with this title -something that her father, Tomasz Swiateek, scored scary.
“I am happy that I could win here because of the family history,” said Swiateek. ‘My father couldn’t win the Olympic Games [here]But at least I won this tournament. So hopefully he will come next year to enjoy everything. “
The Korea Open came to a dramatic conclusion on time on Sunday, after a difficult week that was strongly hit by rain disruptions, although action in the national tennis center of Seoul Olympic Park was consistently high in quality, with a strong final that the action ended.
Champions Barbora Krejcikova & Katerina Siniakova won the double final against Maya Joint and Caty McNally
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In the double final, one of the most successful partnerships in the WTA history, Katerina Siniakova & Barbora Krejcikova from the Czech Republic, reunited for a film-like run to the final, where they dedicate the Maya Joint & Caty McNally of Australia from the title, 6-3 7-6) for the title.
The victory was especially useful for Siniakova, who has recovered the WTA Doubles No 1 ranking in the process, and she is now on 161 career weeks at the top of the ranking, which is only 2 shy by Cara Black for the 3rd place on the list of all time.
Leaders of all time: weeks at WTA Doubles No. 1
- Martina Navratilova: 237
- Liezel Huber: 199
- Cara Black: 163
- Katerina Siniakova: 161
For Siniakova it is her 31st career WTA Doubles title and 3rd of the season, after he has previously won the Australian Open and the WTA 1000 event in Dubai with her regular partner, Taylor Townsend, who happens to be the player she moves from the best place in the ranking.
For Krejcikova, the victory marks her milestone 20th career WTA title, and first of the 2025 season, her last coming in Prague in 2024, also besides Siniakova.
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