Saturday, June 10, 2023

The Queen of Paris holds on to her crown

World number 1 Iga Swiatek dropped a set in the final at the French Open today--her only one during her two-week campaign to defend her title--but that didn't stop her from winning the championship. Her opponent was Karolina Muchova, an immensely talented player whose career has been seriously impeded, over and over, by multiple injuries. During the last two weeks, fans were able to get a good look at what a healthy Muchova can do--and on the surface she has always said was her worst.

The first set was routine for Swiatek--she won it 6-2. The usually cool and calm Muchova didn't look frantic, but it was obvious that the heft of the occasion had kicked in. Swiatek went up 3-0 in the second set, and then it happened--what those who have watched Muchova for a while knew would happen--the unseeded Czech player broke the world number with one of many impressive forehands that she would hit for the remainder of the match.

The switch had been flipped, and Muchova would go on to put on the kind of show we saw from her in the semifinals, which included shots like this. But it wasn't easy because, as agile and quick and creative as Muchova is, her opponent is all that--and more. Muchova, however, was able to take the second set 7-5 on her second set point.

The third set was tense, as one might expect. Muchova quickly went up 2-0, and at 4-all, she had a break opportunity. If she managed to break Swiatek, would she be able to serve successfully for the match? We'll never know because Swiatek held her serve. Muchova, for her part, did not. The forehand that had served her so well for so many games let her down at the most important moment, and then she lost the match on a double fault.

"Honestly, this match was like so long, with so many ups and downs," Swiatek said after the match. "I kind of stopped thinking about the score. I wanted to use my intuition more, because I knew that I can play a little bit better if I'm going to get a little bit more loosened up."

This is Swiatek's fourth major title, and her third French Open title. In winning the tournament this year, the Polish star pulled off the rare feat of winning a major in consecutive years. As for Muchova, this is the first time that she has ever lost to a top-three player. Someone on Twitter commented that Muchova had every gift but health, which is true. What could have already been a great career was blocked repeatedly by injuries (in 2021, Muchova was told by doctors that might never play tennis again), but if the Czech player can stay healthy, she can still have that career.

"The feeling is a little bitter, because I felt it was very close," Muchova said after the match. "But overall, to call myself a Grand Slam finalist, it's an amazing achievement, and for sure big motivation"

 

Swiatek wasn't the only winner today. Top seed and defending champion Diede de Groot defeated Yui Kamiji 6-2, 6-0 to win her fourth French Open wheelchair singles title. However, de Groot and partner Maria Florencia Marino lost the doubles championship to top seeds Kamiji and Kgothatso Montjane. It should be noted that de Groot was not playing with her usual partner, Aniek Van Koot, which explains the seeding, and quite possibly, the loss.

While she was in Paris, Diede the Great won her 100th consecutive match.

In juniors, 3rd seed Alina Korneeva won the title when she defeated 6th seed Lucciana Perez Alarcon 7-6, 6-3. Korneeva, who is Russian, also won the junior title at the 2023 Australian Open. Korneeva and her partner, Sarah Saito, were seeded number 1 in doubles, but lost the final to the USA team of Tyra Caterina Grant and Clervie Ngounoue, who defeated them 6-3, 6-2.

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