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Aryna Sabalenka and Iga Swiatek squared off in the final of the 2023 Madrid Open on Saturday (May 6), producing a fierce end-to-end encounter that left former tennis player Mark Petchey stunned.
After splitting the first two sets, Sabalenka and Swiatek fought out a gripping decider that saw the former lead 3-0, only to drop her serve with a double fault to make the score 3-2.
However, Sabalenka composed herself to eventually claim the set, winning the match 6-3, 3-6, 6-3. It was revenge of sorts for the Belarusian who crashed out against Swiatek in the Porsche Tennis Grand Prix final two weeks back.
Petchey praised the contest, stating that the Madrid summit clash produced "one of the best matches you will ever see," and noted the strong rivalry that is developing between the duo.
"One of the best matches you will ever see. What a conclusion. What character from both. What charisma," Petchey wrote on his tweet. "Women’s tennis in terms of rivalries hasn’t looked this great for awhile. The new frontier. The new norm."
Sabalenka's statement victory over the Pole marks her second title in Madrid and 13th title overall.
Swiatek and Sabalenka's back-to-back summit clashes makes it just the third time in the past 40 years that the WTA No.1 and No.2 have met twice on clay in a single season.
Martina Navratilova and Chris Evert achieved such a feat in 1984 (at Amelia Island Championships and French Open) followed by Serena Williams and Maria Sharapova in 2013 (at Madrid Open and French Open).
"It's always tough battles against Iga Swiatek" - Aryna Sabalenka
Aryna Sabalenka acknowledged that encounters against Iga Swiatek on the tour are always challenging.
During her on-court interview after the final, Sabalenka credited the Pole for pushing her to the limits whenever they meet, adding that she enjoys such battles.
"It's always tough battles against Iga," Sabalenka said. "She always pushes me to the limits. I really enjoy our battles. Hopefully, we can play many more finals this season."
Sabalenka also admitted that the deciding set was difficult, something that the Belarusian had to see all the way through given Swiatek's relentless fighting spirit.
"[The third set] wasn't easy at all, but I kind of expect something like that from Iga, that she's gonna fight for the last point," she continued. "Super happy how I was able to mentally handle this situation and to keep fighting and keep trying."
Following Saturday's win, Aryna Sabalenka has now improved her head-to-head record with Iga Swiatek to 3-5.
