| Venue: Flushing Meadows, New York Dates: 29 August-11 September |
| Protection: Each day radio commentaries throughout BBC Sounds and the BBC Sport web site and app, with chosen reside textual content commentaries and match stories on the web site and app |
World primary Iga Swiatek capped a dominant season by beating Tunisian fifth seed Ons Jabeur on the US Open to win her second main title of 2022.
Poland’s Swiatek, 21, received 6-2 7-6 (7-5) to safe the season’s last Grand Slam trophy on the New York onerous courts.
After a one-sided first set, 28-year-old Jabeur settled halfway by means of the second but it surely was not sufficient to cease Swiatek clinching a 3rd main title.
Swiatek’s earlier two wins each got here on the clay on the French Open.
Jabeur additionally misplaced within the Wimbledon last in July and her await one of many sport’s 4 most prestigious titles continues.
The Flushing Meadows last was a gathering between the 2 main gamers on the WTA Tour this 12 months, however Swiatek demonstrated why there may be such an enormous hole between her and the remainder with a largely dominant efficiency.
Swiatek stays the world primary, and would have achieved even when she had misplaced, with Jabeur shifting as much as a joint career-high rating of second after reaching the ultimate.
Swiatek exhibits high quality and resilience to underline dominance
Following the retirement of Australian world primary Ashleigh Barty in March, Swiatek has seized her alternative to take over because the tour’s dominant participant.
Earlier this 12 months, she put collectively a 37-match successful streak that enabled her to assert six titles in a row – together with the French Open at Roland Garros.
After going by means of an comprehensible dip which resulted within the streak ending within the Wimbledon fourth spherical, Swiatek has slowly reasserted her authority in New York.
Her finest efficiency was saved for the ultimate.
“I wasn’t anticipating lots. Earlier than this match it was such a difficult time,” stated Swiatek, who admitted her dislike for the lighter balls utilized by the ladies on the US Open.
Swiatek had received her 9 earlier finals with out dropping a set – additionally together with her maiden main win on the 2020 French Open – and set the platform for one more victory with a assured begin.
However she additionally wanted to point out resilience at occasions within the second set.
After being unable to transform both of two break factors for a 4-0 lead, Swiatek abruptly discovered herself degree at 4-4 and saved three break factors to stop Jabeur going 5-4 forward.
Scoreboard strain began to inform on Jabeur within the twelfth sport, with the Tunisian falling 30-0 behind and handing over a primary championship level with a free forehand.
Swiatek modified her racquet earlier than sending a backhand lengthy to overlook the possibility however she regained composure within the tie-break and sealed victory on her second championship level when Jabeur hit a forehand lengthy.
The pair shared a heat embrace in the course of the court docket earlier than Swiatek, who’s the primary lady since Serena Williams in 2014 to win seven titles in a season, celebrated in entrance of her crew.
Jabeur ‘working onerous’ to land first main
Against this, Jabeur regarded emotional as she sat together with her head in her palms as she processed a second successive defeat in a Grand Slam last.
Going into the match, Jabeur stated she felt she had realized classes from July’s defeat at Wimbledon to Kazakhstan’s Elena Rybakina.
There, she made a quick begin earlier than fading. Right here, she paid the value for a sluggish begin.
Jabeur solely landed 48% of her first serves within the first set and Swiatek – who has received extra returning video games than anybody else this 12 months – pounced with relentless returning to clinch the opener after simply half-hour.
Whereas Jabeur’s serving improved within the second set, the variety of unforced errors mounted and he or she was unable to completely capitalise on Swiatek’s slight dip.
“Iga did not make it straightforward for me. She deserved to win,” stated Jabeur, who was the primary African lady to succeed in US Open last within the Open period.
“Successful or dropping is a part of tennis. I struggled to win my first WTA title. It took me time. So I consider this [winning a major] will take me time.
“Crucial factor is accepting it, studying from the finals that I misplaced.
“Positively I am not somebody that going to surrender. I’m positive I will be within the last once more. I’ll attempt my finest to win it.”
Evaluation
BBC tennis correspondent Russell Fuller
Iga Swiatek arrived at Flushing Meadows feeling considerably uncertain of herself.
These courts are a bit of on the fast facet for her, and the balls a bit of too mild. The 21-year-old was additionally attempting to evoke herself after a sapping 37-match successful streak got here to an finish at Wimbledon.
However towards Ons Jabeur, she underlined her pre-eminence within the girls’s sport. No-one has received seven titles in the identical 12 months on the ladies’s facet since Serena Williams eight years in the past.
Jabeur, although, is inching nearer – and it’s straightforward to neglect how a lot progress she has made this 12 months.
The world quantity 10 at the beginning of the 12 months, the Tunisian will return to second within the rankings. Alongside the way in which she has received the celebrated WTA occasion in Madrid and now reached back-to-back Grand Slam finals.
