WATCH: Iga Swiatek claims battling win to reach fourth successive final
World number one Iga Swiatek has beaten Russia’s Ludmilla Samsonova in a gutsy comeback to reach the final of the Stuttgart Open.
The 20-year-old Pole, who reached the top of the rankings last month following Ash Barty’s shock retirement, has had an astonishing season so far.
Swiatek has won the past three WTA 1000 tournaments in a row. She won her second WTA 1000 title in Doha, before becoming only the fourth woman in history to land a stunning sunshine double by winning the Indian Wells Masters and the Miami Open back-to-back last month.
Swiatek has now continued her scintillating run of form as she claimed a hard fought victory over the world number 31 Ludmilla Samsonova to progress to the final in Germany. The tightly contested affair lasted just over three hours, with the Russian becoming the first player since Angelique Kerber in the last 16 of the Indian Wells Masters to win a set against the formidable Pole.
The 2020 French Open champion had a great start to the match as she raced into a three-game lead on the back of some powerful baseline hitting.
However, Samsonova rallied with some impressive shots of her own as she rattled off three games in a row to tie the match at 4-4 in the first set.
The momentum was in the Russian’s favor, yet was unable to capitalize on some loose shot making by Swiatek as in the 11th game she failed to convert a break point opportunity. The first set carried on serve and went into a tie-break.
Samsonova controlled the tie-break from the start and as a result of her dominance in the first set tie-break ended Swiatek’s run of 28 sets won in a row claiming the set 7-6(4).
The second set was even tighter as both players, despite significant pressure, were able to keep holding serve. However in the ninth game Swiatek finally made the pressure count as she secured the decisive break before serving out for set to equal the match.
Early on in the third set, both players were not able to consolidate their breaks and hold their serves as each player broke the other twice, before the set continued on serve.
In the ninth game, Samsonova managed to hold her serve despite a number of deuces, putting her one game away from victory and a place in the final.
However, Swiatek would hold to 15 and then break her opponent before serving it out to win 6-7(4), 6-4, 7-5 and move into a fourth successive final as she targets a fourth successive title.
The win meant that Iga Swiatek has now won 22 matches in a row as preparations ramp up for the French Open, which begins on May 22. She is set to face world number four Aryna Sabalenka in the final after Belarusian beat Spain’s Paula Badosa 7-6 6-4 in the other semi-final.
? Join >> Receive $700/£600 of tennis gear from the Tennishead CLUB
? Social >> Facebook, Twitter, Instagram & YouTube
? Read >> World’s best tennis magazine
? Watch >> How to enjoy ATP/WTA/Slam tennis on TV
? Shop >> Lowest price tennis gear from our trusted partner
? Gambling >> Betway tennis odds