– I will try to treat this event as a training tournament. Of course, I will not ignore it, but I will try to implement everything I have trained for. I think this is the best approach for me – said Iga Świątek before the start of the WTA 1000 tournament in Cincinnati. Fans believed that this time the Pole would be able to turn the tables in her favor and add another trophy to her account. This did not happen. In the semifinals, Aryna Sabalenka stopped her 3-6, 3-6, although the 23-year-old did not give up until the end. Suffice it to say that she saved as many as nine match balls, but surrendered on the tenth.
Wojciech Vibak scores Svetek’s goal. What’s the problem with the pole now?
The entire tournament in Cincinnati was full of problems for Świątek. She lost up to four sets in four matches, which does not happen to her very often. This made the fans very upset. Similar to her previous appearances, at Wimbledon, where she was eliminated in the third round, and at the Olympics, where she lost in the semifinals and was affected by emotions.
Even Wojciech Fybak spoke about this. The legendary tennis player directly admitted what, in his opinion, is the reason for the decline of Polish women. – He said – it started during Wimbledon. – Since then, Iga lacked the self-confidence of a leader. Beliefs about your dominance. They were transferred to the Olympics, and so far Iga has not been able to rebuild them – he confirmed in an interview with the magazine “fact”.
Now before Christmas, the US Open, the last Grand Slam of the season. Fans believe that the WTA ranking leader will be able to return to his best form there. Vibak believes so too. He added: “The courts there are a little slower than in Cincinnati, and you should feel more comfortable.”
There is no doubt that despite the worst weeks, Swiatek will be the favorite to win in New York, where she has already tasted victory in the past (2022). This was her first and only Grand Slam title on hard courts. The remaining four titles were won at Roland Garros. Moreover, the Pole has an impressive record this season – 50 wins and only five defeats.
Media split on US Open favourites
However, according to Sportskeeda.com, Świątek does not have the best chance of winning the US Open. According to journalists, Aryna Sabalenka, the winner from Cincinnati, has these things. The Sportsbook Review company expressed a different opinion, analyzing this year’s tournament with a supercomputer using artificial intelligence, and it was Świątek who had the highest percentage of chances of winning.
We will find out who will win in the end in early September. The tournament runs from August 26 to September 8.
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