CHAMPIONSHIP TOURNAMENT – Barbora Krejčíková (28) lost her fourth overall appearance at the Champions Tournament in singles. She started her second participation in the prestigious WTA Finals in Riyadh with a three-set defeat against defending champion Iga Šwiateková (23), returning after a break, even though she led 6:4 and 3:0 with two breaks. The Pole helped herself to 10 aces, she scored more only once. Coco Gauff (20) dominated the American women’s fight, beating Jessica Pegula (30).
Šwiateková – Krejčíková 4:6, 7:5, 6:2
Although Barbora Krejčíková was not among the eight most successful tennis players this season, she qualified for the Tournament of Champions thanks to her triumph at Wimbledon and her position in the TOP 20. She arrived in Riyadh without form and match rhythm, but her first opponent Iga Šwiateková was in a similar situation and the Czech outsider she almost used that to unexpected success.
The 28-year-old Krejčíková entered the match with a break and an active game. And when she averted all three break points at 3:2 and 0:40, she maintained her lead. Five years younger, the Polish woman helped her win the opening set with 19 unforced errors.
Never backing down @every_time gets the comeback dub over Krejcikova!#WTAFinalsRiyadh pic.twitter.com/qbQykbcwPe
— wta (@WTA) November 3, 2024
From the beginning of the second set, Krejčíková continued the psychological advantage and momentum of the match and already led 6:4 and 3:0 with two breaks in the back. But Šwiateková didn’t give up, made her shots more accurate and returned to the match by winning four games in a row. In addition, at the end of the act, she made two set points on the return and converted the second one after a mistake by the Czech Republic.
With that, she finally broke the resistance of the native of Ivančice. In the deciding set, she was clearly the better player on the court and seemed confident. Although she did not end the match with her serve, she earned two match points on the return and immediately converted the first one with a winning shot.
Statistics of the match Iga Šwiateková – Barbora Krejčíková (@ Livesport / Enetpulse)
Krejčíková played with the favored Polish woman for the fifth time in her career, and although she won at least a set for the fourth time in a row, she did not follow up on the previous final wins from Ostrava 2022 and Dubai 2023 and lost 2:3 in the head-to-head record.
“It wasn’t the best tennis from my side, but it was pretty solid. But I lost the momentum in the match and I don’t know if it was me or Iga. She improved, started to play more aggressively and hit the balls better. Unfortunately, that’s Iga. Against her, you have to play two sets better than her.” stated Krejčíková.
Since the Wimbledon triumph, she is playing in the sixth event and only at the Olympics has she won more than one match. Since advancing to the quarterfinals of the five-ring games in July, she has recorded six defeats and only two victories.
“It wasn’t easy at all. I felt stiff at the start and Barbora took advantage of that. The score quickly went in her favor. But I knew it was even, I just had to take my chances. I’m glad I found a way to play better,” commented the five-time Grand Slam champion Šwiateková.
Krejčíková is competing in the Singles Tournament of Champions for the second time in her career and lost for the fourth time in singles. At the premiere in 2021, when she presented herself as the reigning winner of the French Open, she was not enough for Anett Kontaveitová, Garbiňa Muguruzaová and Karolína Plíšková. But then she triumphed in the doubles alongside Kateřina Siniaková, in 2018 and 2022 they lost in the final.
In her second match in the Orange group, Krejčíková will face last year’s finalist Jessica Pegula from the USA in a duel between the losers of the opening round on Tuesday. On Thursday, she will challenge another American, Coco Gauffová.
Swiatek d. Krejcikova 4-6 7-5 6-2 in Riyadh
You have to admire Iga
Down a set & a double break, she never stopped believing she could turn this around
She hasn’t played a match since US Open
But she sure knows how to make an entrance
✅6th straight win at WTA Finals
❤️ pic.twitter.com/gBErGKM61n
— The Tennis Letter (@TheTennisLetter) November 3, 2024
Šwiateková played a competitive match after two months. She made her last appearance on September 4 at the US Open, where she failed to reach the quarterfinals against Jessica Pegula. Since then, she has dealt with personal problems, ended her successful collaboration with coach Tomasz Wiktorowski and hired Wim Fissette.
10 aces helped her win over Krejčíková. At the same time, she has recorded nine or more aces only twice – in Lugano 2019 against Věra Lapková (9) and at the Australian Open 2019 against Ana Bogdanová (12).
This year, the 23-year-old Pole scored her 60th jubilee win, which she did for the third year in a row. In the last 30 years, only the Swiss Martina Hingisová (1997-2001) and the Danish Caroline Wozniacka (2009-2011) were able to do it.
60 – Iga Swiatek is the third player in the last 30 years to achieve 3+ seasons in a row with 60+ wins, after Martina Hingis (1997-2001) and Caroline Wozniacki (2009-2011). Superstar. #WTAFinalsRiyadh | @WTA @WTAFinals Riyadh @WTA_insider pic.twitter.com/zmldFeX811
— OptaAce (@OptaAce) November 3, 2024
Gauffová – Pegulaová 6:3, 6:2
Coco Gauff was successful in the evening duel of American tennis players. The 20-year-old hopeful defeated Jessica Pegula easily 6:3, 6:2, avenging her defeat in the semifinals last year and claiming only her second win in the sixth meeting.
Last year’s US Open winner Gauff is playing in the Tournament of Champions for the third time. While she did not score a single point in the group on her debut in 2022, she advanced to the semi-finals a year ago and had a winning start this year as well.
Results of the Tournament of Champions in Riyadh
Article originally published for Livesport News.
