By Richard Pagliaro | Sunday, October 9, 2022
Barbora Krejcikova cracked her seventh ace sealing a wild 5-7, 7-6(4), 6-3 win over world No. 1 Iga Swiatek to claim her second straight title in Ostrava.
Photo credit: Getty
Staring down the world No. 1, Barbora Krejcikova managed major multi-tasking demands—and dizzying drama—to capture her second straight title in Ostrava.
A fearless Krejcikova cracked her seventh ace delivering declarative exclamation point to topple Iga Swiatek 5-7, 7-6(4), 6-3 in a pulsating Ostrava Open final today.
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A clash of the current and former Roland Garros champions escalated into wildly entertaining showdown leaving the packed house in Ostrava chanting both women's names in recognition of an epic battle.
This gripping final spanned three hours, 16 minutes, saw Swiatek save five championship points and brought engaged fans to their feet countless times saluting both Grand Slam champions with ovations.
Exuding calm amid chaos, Krejcikova scored her ninth straight win snapping Swiatek's 10-match winning streak.
A week after Krejcikova won the Tallinn title, she beat Swiatek for the first time in three meetings.
"Iga, well done to you, you have been ruling the whole season, you have been beating everyone on the tour," Krejcikova said. "So I'm really sorry today but I'm really glad that I beat you. It was an amazing match.
"I think we both gave our all and I really want to thank you that you are here, that you are playing, you are such a star at a young age. You have been doing an incredible job this season and overall. Thank you for bringing the best out of me today and thank you for such a huge performance. I'm really happy that we played and that the fans they enjoyed it."
US Open champion Swiatek suffered her first defeat since bowing to Madison Keys in Cincinnati last August. Swiatek showed her guts and spirit throwing everything at the Czech, but on this day nothing could deny Krejcikova.
"Congrats to you Barbora, you are such an amazing player," Swiatek said. "You have such solid tennis. It's pretty amazing and we need players like you on WTA Tour for sure. To many more..."
The 21-year-old Swiatek slapped her first double fault into the tape giving Krejcikova double break point in the third game. Swiatek saved both then lost the grip on her Tecnifibre stick lunging for a backhand. Krejcikova had a clear look at an open court forehand on her third break point, but sailed it long.
The top seed stood tall through a five-deuce game slashing an ace and serve winner to hold for 2-1. That saved sparked Swiatek, who immediately broke for 3-1 when Krejcikova clanked a forehand into net.
The Czech's two-handed backhand is a beautifully compact stroke. Her loopy forehand takeback can sometimes cause timing issues under stress. Krejcikova committed a couple of sloppy forehand errors as Swiatek broke for 5-1.
On the brink of a blow-out set, Krejcikova calmed her wayward strokes, prodded a netted backhand and broke back in game seven.
Staring down a set point, Krejcikova banged a body serve to save it, navigating a tricky hold for 3-5 after 44 minutes of play. Riding that momentum, Krejcikova ripped a return right back down the middle, jamming Swiatek into a miss for break point. When Swiatek sailed a backhand, Krejcikova was back on serve at 4-5.
By this stage, Krejcikova was spreading the court with control and punishing the Pole's backhand wing with some tremendous two-handed drives winning four games in a row to level 5-5.
Swiatek showed guts slamming a running forehand strike down the line to deny break point in the 11th game. Krejcikova's soft touch is one reason why she's one of the game's best doubles players. She slid a low pass handcuffing Swiatek for a second break point. The top seed saved it. Krejcikova barely missed a second-serve return long on the third break point.
Scraping through the stress of three break points, Swiatek refused to crack holding for 6-5.
Pressure was back on Krejcikova's shoulders and she felt its weight pushing a drop shot into net then watching Swiatek buzz a backhand down the line for love-30. Stepping in, Swiatek swatted a backhand crosscourt for double set point.
In a net-rush that would have made her late, great mentor Jana Novotona proud, Krejcikova knifed a fine backhand volley winner to save the first set point.
On the second set point, Krejcikova challenged the Swiatek forehand.
Big mistake.
Swiatek lasered a forehand return right down the line leaving a lunging Krejcikova coming up with air. That superb strike ended a dramatic 74-minute set.
The bad news for Krejcikova was she put herself in a winning position, but couldn't clinch the crucial break.
The worse news for the Czech: Swiatek was an imposing 48-1 when winning the first set this season.
None of that mattered much to Krejcikova, who coaxed a forehand error to start the second set with the break.
The top seed stuck a backhand off the baseline for a third break point, but Krejcikova was up to the task curling a forehand down the line to deny it. Krejcikova held for 3-1.
A bold backhand and clear vision helped Swiatek break back. Swiatek singed the sideline with a backhand down the line that was initially called out. She successfully challenged and drew a backhand error breaking to even it after eight games.
Swiatek fired her fourth ace to seize a 5-4 lead after two hours of play.
The world No. 23 held firm to force the second-set tiebreaker then blew through the breaker. Krejcikova won four points in a row to open, extending her lead to 5-1. In a thrill-ride point, Krejcikova dug a running forehand from outside the doubles alley, raced up to a net cord and spun a forehand pass down the line for a fistful of set points at 6-1. Swiatek saved three set points.
On her fourth set point, Krejcikova slid the wide serve, drew the short return and spun a forehand to close the second set and force a decider after two hours, 28 minutes.
The finish line loomed and Krecjikova caught fire winning eight of nine points in one torrid stretch that saw her score the love break for 5-3.
The world No. 1 did not go down quietly.
Swiatek saved a third championship point pounding a forehand winner then blocked a backhand volley for a break point in the ninth game.
Krejcikova banged a big serve down the middle and thumped a smash for a fourth championship point.
A soaring Swiatek snapped off a snazzy high backhand volley then spun a backhand winner down the line to get back to deuce as delirious Swiatek fans began the "Iga! Iga!" chants.
A tremendous defensive forehand dig for Krejcikova prolonged the point and she hammered a backhand down the line for a fifth championship point only to miss her favored backhand wide.
On her sixth championship point, Krejcikova zapped her seventh ace out wide to close an epic victory with arms raised in triumph after a wild three hour, 16-minute battle.