Iga Swiatek won her 11th career WTA title and eighth of the season on Sunday, defeating 77th-ranked Donna Vekic in the San Diego Open final.
Swiatek defeated the 26-year-old Croatian 6-3, 3-6, 6-0 to claim her WTA-best 64th match victory of 2022.
“It was a really tight and long match,” Swiatek said. “We definitely felt the heat. Finally, I wanted to be the one who put the last ball in.”
Swiatek has previously won titles at the US and French Opens, as well as in Qatar, Indian Wells, Miami, Stuttgart, and Rome this year.
Vekic defeated 19th-ranked American Danielle Collins, this year’s Australian Open runner-up, 6-4, 4-6, 7-6 (7/2) in a rain-delayed semi-final on Sunday afternoon, rallying from 4-2 down in the third set when showers struck.
That left her with only a short rest period before facing Swiatek for the title, but she put the top-ranked player to the test in two sets.
Swiatek won the first set after 40 minutes when Vekic netted a backhand.
Vekic broke on a forehand crosscourt winner for a 4-2 lead in the second set and held twice to force a third set. Swiatek improved her form as a result.
“I wanted to give it everything, and knowing how Donna can serve, I wanted to be more loose in my return games – not think, just relax and let my instincts take over,” Swiatek explained.
She broke on a forehand winner to take a 2-0 lead in the decider, broke again in the fourth game, and won after one hour and 47 minutes when Vekic double faulted away a final break.
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