Iga Świątek’s incredible result. Nothing like this has ever been seen in the 21st century
Iga Świątek defeated Marketa Vondrousova 7:6, 6:0 to start the WTA Finals. Winning the second set to zero was already the 21st bagel for the Pole this season. Such a result has not been seen on the professional tour for over thirty years.
Iga Świątek approaches the WTA Finals – the tournament ending the 2023 season – with great ambitions. After winning in Beijing, the Pole is counting on a good performance in Cancun, Mexico. Last year, in the event in which the best eight of the year take part, the 22-year-old was eliminated in the semi-finals. She has never managed to win this competition before.
Iga Świątek with a historic feat
The first match of the tournament proves that despite the exhausting season, the Pole still has the strength and willingness to play. She defeated the 2023 Wimbledon winner Marketa Vondrousova, although she was already losing 2:5 in the first game. Świątek showed great level, equalizing the score and then reversing the set. Then she gave no chance to her rival from across the southern border. She won the second game to zero, which earned her the so-called “bagel”.
Iga Świątek has beaten her opponent in a set to a game more than once this season. This victory over the Czech was the 21st set she won to zero this year. All her current rivals can envy her such a result. Moreover, the Polish representative made history, because in the 21st century no other player managed to win more than 20 sets to zero in a post-season.
If you are looking for a similar feat in the archives, you have to go back over thirty years. In the 1991-1992 seasons, for two years, legendary players Stefii Graf and Monica Seles recorded at least 20 6-0 victories per season.
Iga Świątek is playing for victory in the WTA Finals
After defeating Marketa Vondrousova, Iga Świątek will most likely face Coco Gauff (another rival in the Polish group, next to Ons Jabeur). The match with the winner of the 2023 US Open will take place in Cancun on November 1.