The chic and shocking final between two world number ones, the new one and an old one, was a bit pschiittt. Iga Swiatek, more solid, more constant, more relaxed and physically better, proved to be far superior to Naomi Osaka, totally outclassed in the second set, this Saturday in Miami (6-4, 6-0).
Just mentally refreshed in recent days, the Japanese has not made the weight against a Polish sure of her tennis and now surfing on a series of seventeen consecutive victories, with three titles in a row with Doha, Indian Wells and Miami. Swiatek is currently playing her role as new boss wonderfully, capable of winning the first set despite a low percentage of 39% of first serves which will not prevent her from winning 71% of points on her second…
By taking eleven minutes to win her first game of service, thanks in particular to four aces, Osaka did not manage to deceive much longer than a few hanging games. On the return, the Japanese tried to intimidate her opponent by ostensibly entering the court, but she did not have the technical arguments for this tactic. And it was most certainly Swiatek who proved to be the most intimidating, vastly superior as soon as the rally got under way, playing without forcing in the right areas while maintaining regularity, while being very effective on the return.
Faced with this block, Osaka, who had trouble engaging in his shots, therefore liquefied, first by playing too disjointedly (29 unforced errors), then by giving the impression of no longer wanting to struggle against. It’s a disappointment for her. In steamroller mode, Swiatek did not lose a set to win this title in Miami. And only Pegula managed to take five games from him in one set.
“I didn’t know if I was going to be able to hold on after Indian Wells, but I was able to show a certain mental solidity”
After Graf (1994-96), Clijsters (2005) and Azarenka (2016), she is the fourth player to achieve this “sunshine double” which consists of winning Indian Wells and Miami in a row. It’s the best way to reach the rank of world No. 1. And the next figure is enough to scare all her rivals: on the ITF and WTA circuit, the Pole has won twelve of the thirteen finals she has played in.
“I didn’t know if I was going to be able to hold on after Indian Wells, but I was able to show some mental toughnesswill say Swiatek on the edge of the court. On the court, I know what I have to put in place. There, I was able to read his second ball well. And physically, I can run on all the balls! »
