Iga Swiatek has finally achieved her long-awaited goal at the Cincinnati Open, defeating Jasmine Paolini 7-5, 6-4 in a thrilling match on Monday night. The Polish player, ranked third in the world, had failed to advance past the semifinals in six previous appearances at the tournament.
Swiatek’s victory marks her first Cincinnati Open title and comes after two years of reaching the semifinals but falling short. Her win over Paolini is Swiatek’s eighth career singles title, and 11th title in a WTA 1000 event.
Despite struggling with errors, including seven double faults to just two for Paolini, Swiatek dominated the match with her powerful serves, hitting nine aces. The Polish player credited her team and friends, saying “it means a lot to me” after winning the tournament.
Paolini, who became the first Italian woman to reach the finals in Cincinnati, was positive about her performance but acknowledged that it wasn’t enough. “The serves were the difference,” she said. “When I needed an ace, she hit an ace.”
Swiatek’s win comes ahead of the US Open, which begins on Sunday in New York. She has broken a tie with Victoria Azarenka for the second-most 1000-level titles since the level was introduced in 2009.
Source: https://www.espn.com/tennis/story/_/id/46011503/iga-swiatek-defeats-jasmine-paolini-cincinnati-open-final