Barbora Krejcikova of Brno, Czechia might have been the underdog heading into the final of the 2023 Dubai Tennis Championship on Saturday, but the 2021 French Open champion was the most dominant player in the championship final en route to her sixth career WTA title. In a match that lasted one hour and 31 minutes, Krejcikova defeated the world number one Iga Swiatek of Poland, 6-4, 6-2.
There is no doubt Krejcikova had the better serve. Krejcikova had six aces compared to two for Swiatek, while Swiatek had three double faults compared to only one for Krejcikova.
Krejcikova also saw Swiatek’s serve very well too. She broke Swiatek five times.
In the process, Krejcikova becomes the first player to beat Swiatek twice while Swiatek has been world number one. Krejcikova was also victorious in the final of the 2022 Ostrava Open, where Krejcikova was victorious 5-7, 7-6, 6-3.
In addition to winning the 2021 French Open, the 2022 Ostrava Open and 2023 Dubai Championship, Krejcikova’s three other WTA titles came at the 2021 Internatioux de Strasbourg in France (beat Sorana Cirstea of Romania in the final, 6-3, 6-3), the 2021 Prague Open (beat fellow Czechia player Tereza Martincova in the final, 6-2, 6-0), and the 2022 Tallinn Open in Estonia (beat Estonia’s Anett Kontaveit in the final, 6-2, 6-3).
En route to winning in Dubai this week, Krejcikova, who was unseeded, beat five seeded players including Swiatek. She beat the seventh seed and 2022 French Open semifinalist Daria Kasatkina 6-4, 4-6, 7-5 in the second round, fellow Czechia player, the 12th seed and two-time Wimbledon champion (2012 and 2014), Petra Kvitova, 6-3, 6-2 in the third round, 2023 Australian Open champion and number two seed Aryna Sabalenka of Belarus 0-6, 7-6, 6-1 in the quarterfinals, and number three seed Jessica Pegula of the United States 6-1, 5-7, 6-0 in the semifinals.
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