Barbora Krejčíková with a trophy for the winner of the tournament in Ostrava
Before the decisive set, Krejčíková rebounded to the background.
Both players held serve until the eighth game, when the Czech tennis player broke the opponent’s service and served for the victory.
Although Šwiateková turned away five swordballs and cheered the fans, in the sixth the tennis player from Ivančice closed the duel with an ace.
It was a cut with a sweet Czech dot! Barbora Krejčíková defeated world number one Iga Šwiateková of Poland 5:7, 7:6, 6:3 in the final of the WTA tennis tournament in Ostrava to win her fifth title.
Two-time winner of last year’s Roland Garros, Krejčíková inflicted Šwiateková’s first final defeat in more than three years.
The world leader and three-time Grand Slam champion failed in the decisive title match for the last time and only once in April 2019 in Lugano with Slovenian Polona Hercog.
They lost after ten final wins and ten last matches.
Krejčíková became the first Czech winner in Ostrava.
Two years ago, Aryna Sabalenko from Belarus succeeded on a hard surface, last year Estonian Anett Kontaveit triumphed.
The twenty-six-year-old Czech tennis player started the match in the sold-out Ostravar Arena promisingly and in the third game she had three break point.
But she didn’t take advantage of either and away with four consecutive wins to a 5-1 lead. Krejcikova fought back, turned away the set and equalized at 5:5.
In the eleventh game, Krejčíková worked out three more break point, but Šwiateková managed to withstand difficult moments.
Then, in the service of the Czech tennis player, she gained a 40-15 lead and on the third attempt she won the set after 74 minutes in her favor.
At the beginning of the second set, the Brno native broke the service of her opponent and in the fourth game she turned away three break point.
At 4:3, however, she also lost service and after a balanced endgame, the set reached a shortened game.
In it, Krejčíková escaped to a 6-1 lead, took advantage of the fourth set and forced a continuation.
Šwiateková lost the set in the final after ten matches and 21 sets won. Krejčíková also succeeded in Ostrava in the third tie-break.
