World number one and number two, face to face in the final for the title. And for the second year in a row. All the bad luck that the Madrid Open is having in its men’s draw, full of withdrawals and premature goodbyes of its stars, has been compensated for in the women’s tournament. As in 2023, the two best tennis players on the planet will meet at the Caja Mágica in the title match. Iga Swiatek and Aryna Sabalenka, first and second in the ranking, face each other this Saturday (6:30 p.m., TDP) for a title that would mean a lot to either of the two protagonists of one of the best rivalries today: six wins for the Pole , three for the Belarusian in the most repeated confrontation since 2021.
Sabalenka has conquered the Caja Mágica in two of the last three editions (2021 and 2023), and a victory today would make her tie with Karolina Pliskova as players with the most titles in the history of the tournament. Swiatek, empress of the WTA on clay, aspires to lift the only major event she has left to win on this surface that she dominates like no one else. It was close last year, in a historic final, which was decided in three sets (6-3, 3-6 and 6-3) and which two days ago, Sabalenka, the winner, remembered as “the best final ever.” I have played”. Big words from a two-time Australian Open champion.
“It will be a great final. I’ve had a lot of great matches with Iga. Always tough battles. I’m super excited for this final. Once again, I am going to do everything possible to achieve this victory,” she anticipated from Minsk after beating the Kazakh Elena Rybakina in the semifinals, including a comeback. In this edition, the Belarusian has carried out several matches in which she has suffered more than necessary, and in fact she is the player who reaches a final in Madrid with the most games lost (60). Sabalenka’s three victories over Swiatek have also occurred on clay. Despite this, the Pole will go for it. “I feel very good. I’m not thinking about what happened last year. I will have the opportunity to play a good game, it is exciting. In general, I am happy with the entire tournament,” said Swiatek, who has won her last seven finals played, all since she lost to Sabalenka in Madrid 2023, after beating Madison Keys in the semifinals. The highlight of the tournament is served.
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2024-05-04 02:40:12
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