WTA Finals: Iga Swiatek produces stunning comeback to beat Barbora Krejcikova in Riyadh

Sunday, 03 November 2024 at 17:33

World number two Iga Swiatek produced a remarkable comeback as she came from behind to beat Barbora Krejcikova in her WTA Finals opener. The mega-event, which is the last in the women’s tennis calendar, is being played in Riyadh, Saudi Arabia, for the first time ever, where the top eight players from women’s tennis are taking part to secure the ultimate prize.

Before coming into the match, both players faced off four times and won two each. Their most recent meeting before today was in February last year, when Krejcikova came out on top in Dubai in straight sets with a score of 6-4, 6-2.

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In the first set of the match, Krejcikova was too hot to handle as she won it with a score of 6-4. The lack of discipline ended up costing the world number two as she committed 19 unforced errors in the first set. In comparison, her opponent committed 11 unforced errors. Krejcikova also converted a break point, whereas the Polish tennis star failed to win any of her three break points.

In the second set, Krejcikova looked to have sealed the match after taking a 3-0 lead, but Swiatek made a grand comeback and won four games in a row. She ended up winning the set with a score of 7-5. Swiatek ended up producing 18 winners in the second set, eight more than her opponent. She won 55 percent service points as well.

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In the third set, Swiatek started brightly as she won the first five games, breaking the serve of her opponent on two consecutive occasions. It took Krejcikova six games to finally win a game in the final set. She managed to put some fight as she broke the serve of Swiatek but it was too little too late as the five-time Grand Slam winner went on to seal the game with a score of 4-6, 7-5, 6-2.

2024 WTA Finals (11-03)

Center Court

Group Stage - 3rd
8Barbora Krejcikova	6 5 0
2Iga Swiatek	4 7 3

Group Stage - 11/3 - 10:15 AM EST
6Jessica Pegula
3Coco Gauff

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Just call her The Flash 🏃‍♀️💨 @iga_swiatek | #WTAFinalsRiyadh

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3:04 PM · Nov 3, 2024

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Azeem Siddiqui

Azeem Siddiqui is a seasoned sports journalist and data analyst with a strong background in both digital media and live sports production.

He began his journalism career working with partners of The New York Times and has since contributed to several leading international sports publications, including Fox Sports Asia, Calciomercato, and GiveMeSport. Since 2023, Azeem has been part of the TennisUpToDate team, where he has played a key role in sustaining the platform’s growth and ensuring tennis fans receive timely and reliable coverage of the sport’s biggest stories.

In addition to his editorial work, Azeem has extensive experience as a data analyst in live sports broadcasting—particularly in cricket—where he combines analytical precision with creative storytelling. He has collaborated with multiple production companies and cricket boards worldwide, delivering real-time insights and data-driven narratives during live match coverage.

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