Home favourite Barbora Krejcikova snapped World No. 1 Iga Swiatek’s 10-match winning streak with a thrilling three-set victory to clinch the Ostrava Open title on Sunday.
Poland’s Swiatek, who won the French Open and US Open this year, saved five match points before going down 7-5, 6-7 (4), 3-6 to Krejcikova in the final that went on for three hours and 16 minutes.
The 26-year-old Krejcikova hit an ace wide into the ad court to seal the win and become the first woman to beat Swiatek in a tour-level final this season.
This is Swiatek’s only second-ever loss in WTA Tour singles finals. Going into the summit clash in Ostrava, she had a 10-1 win-loss record with her sole defeat coming against Polona Hercog in 2019 Lugano in what was the Pole’s very first final.
This season, the 21-year-old Pole has won titles in Doha, Indian Wells, Miami, Stuttgart, Rome apart from her two Majors. and leads the tour with 60 wins (including Billie Jean King Cup matches). She is the first player with 60 wins in a calendar year since Caroline Wozniacki finished 2017 with 60.
For 2021 French Open champion Krejcikova, this is her first-ever win over Swiatek after losing their previous meetings. The former World No. 2 Czech player clinched her second title in two weeks after winning the Tallinn Open last week and is projected to climb up nine places to 14th in the latest WTA Rankings which will be released on Monday.
In the presentation ceremony, Swiatek pledged to donate her prize money to Polish non-profit organizations ahead of World Mental Health Day which is on Monday.
Mertens thrashes Cornet to win title in Monastir
Belgian Elise Mertens defeated Frenchwoman Alize Cornet in straight sets to win the WTA250 event in Monastir, her first title of the season and seventh overall.
Mertens won 6-2, 6-0 against third-seeded Cornet in the inaugural edition of the tournament in Tunisia.
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