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Tennis: Iga Świątek stunned by Barbora Krejčiková in Dubai final

25.02.2023 18:30
Poland’s world No. 1 Iga Świątek was beaten by the Czech Republic's Barbora Krejčiková 4-6, 2-6 in the final of the Dubai Tennis Championships in the United Arab Emirates on Saturday.
Iga Swiatek in action against Barbora Krejcikova during the final of the 2023 Dubai Tennis Championships on Saturday.
Iga Swiatek in action against Barbora Krejcikova during the final of the 2023 Dubai Tennis Championships on Saturday.Photo: PAP/EPA/Yoshua Arias

Krejčiková, who earlier defeated world No. 3 Jessica Pegula and second-ranked Aryna Sabalenka, grabbed her first title of the year, and the sixth in her career.

Poland's Świątek earlier swept past American Coco Gauff in a straight-set victory in the semifinals on Friday.

Last week, Świątek successfully defended her Qatar Open  title from last year, claiming her 12th career singles title.

Świątek, who is coached by countryman Tomasz Wiktorowski, last year defeated Anett Kontaveit of Estonia in the championship match at the Qatar Open.

The Polish star had an outstanding season in 2022, leading the way for finals reached, trophies won and matches won, according to the Women's Tennis Association (WTA).

Overall, Świątek won 67 matches last season, including a 37-match winning streak midway through the year, according to the wtatennis.com website.

The Pole in October won the San Diego Open tournament in the United States, claiming her 11th career singles title.

In early April 2022, Świątek took over as the new world number one in women's tennis, becoming the first Pole to top the WTA rankings.

(tf/gs)

Source: PAP