By Richard Pagliaro | @Tennis_Now | Sunday, March 17, 2024
In a rematch of the 2022 final, Iga Swiatek swept the final eight straight games dismissing Maria Sakkari 6-4, 6-0 for her second Indian Wells crown.
Photo credit: Clive Brunskill/Getty
Thumping damaging drives into the corner, Iga Swiatek brought masterful trouble to Tennis Paradise.
Deadlocked after eight games, Swiatek stormed through eight consecutive games sweeping Maria Sakkari 6-4, 6-0, to capture her second BNP Paribas Open championship in the last three years.
More: Saudis Offer $2 Billion to Merge ATP and WTA
It is Swiatek’s 19th career championship, including her second title of the season.
The 22-year-old Swiatek raised her 2024 record to a WTA-best 20-2 on the season, leveling her career head-to-head with Sakkari at 3-3.
"I'm really proud of myself. I'm super happy," Swiatek told the media in Indian Wells. "Even though this tournament looked like, the scores, maybe I had everything under control, it wasn't from the beginning to the end so easy. So I'm happy I could improve during the tournament.
"I felt really good on the last two matches, big amount of confidence. I'm really proud of myself."
“It’s just amazing standing here again,” Swiatek, who improved to 19-4 in WTA finals, told the crowd. “I want to say congrats to Maria. You are one of these players always fighting, going through ups and downs. You are truly one of the kindest people in the locker room and you can feel you’re a good person on the court.”
The world No. 2 dropped just 21 games in six tournament victories collecting her eighth WTA 1000 championship and surpassing Steffi Graf for the highest winning percentage in tournament history (90 percent).
The four-time Grand Slam champion will try to complete the Sunshine Double for the second time in the last three years at the Miami Open this month.
Though Sakkari took the court with a 3-2 career record over Swiatek—joining Jelena Ostapenko, Elena Rybakina and Ash Barty as of only four women with a winning record over the Pole.
Drained by her two hour, 41-minute semifinal win over US Open champion Coco Gauff on Friday night, Sakkari fought hard to level at 4-all, but looked depleted in the second set and had no answers for a swarming Swiatek.
“Sorry I couldn’t put on a better fight. It was pretty quick for you guys,” Sakkari told the crowd afterward. “Credit to Iga—you’re an amazing player, a very good person, an incredible champion, you really deserve the best.
“You and your team you have created something incredible. I’m really hoping we play a lot more finals and face each other—that means we are both doing something good.”
In this rematch of the 2022 BNP Paribas Open final, Swiatek burst out of the blocks quickly.
The Pole’s proactive movement stepping inside the baseline helped her carve out the first break. Swiatek sped up quickly to a mid-court ball and spun a backhand that surprised Sakkari, landing inside the baseline for break point. When the Greek sailed a shot, Swiatek had the opening break and a 2-0 lead.
It was a physical run to the final for Sakkari, who spent five hours longer on the court that Swiatek did in reaching the title match. Sakkari out-dueled Coco Gauff in a two hour, 41-minute semifinal triumph Friday night and felt the fatigue as the match progressed today.
"I know she usually wins her finals," Sakkari said. "Like, she rarely loses her finals the last two years, but that wasn't something I had in my mind.
"I just felt, like, you know, I wasn't good enough today, I wasn't competitive enough today. My energy level was low, and in order for me to beat her I have to be at my best."
When Sakkari nudged a volley into net, Swiatek snatched a 3-0 lead after just 11 minutes of play.
Down 0-3, love-30, the ninth seeded needed to slow Swiatek’s roll and Sakkari did exactly that.
Working through a tricky hold, Sakkari smacked some sharp-angled returns and drew successive errors to break back in the fifth game.
Snapping a 114 mph ace down the T, Sakkari curled a crosscourt forehand pass, capping a strong love hold to level after eight games.
The top seed’s speed around the court and that twisting topspin forehand helped her create the key break to close the set.
Serving at 4-5, Sakkari committed a couple of backhand errors to face triple set point.
The Greek saved the first two, but on her third set point, Swiatek commanded the rally with her forehand then ripped a diagonal forehand winner sealing the 43-minute opening set with the dagger drive.
A fierce front-runner, Swiatek shrunk safe space for Sakkari and stretched her lead quickly in the process.
The woman wearing the pink baseball cap cranked a crosscourt backhand winner racing out to a 3-0 second-set lead.
“I don’t know what to do” Sakkari confessed to coach Witt after dropping her fourth game in a row.
“Against the wind, you’ve gotta get more first serves in,” Witt replied.
Crunching drives into the corners to keep the Greek on the move, Swiatek scored her fourth break of the final for her sixth consecutive game and a 4-0 second-set lead.
One final Sakkari drive sailed long and Swiatek swept her 19th career win without surrendering a set.