Iga Swiatek vs. Ons Jabeur: where the US Open final could be won and lost
Iga Swiatek vs. Ons Jabeur: where the US Open final could be won and lost: It’s been a while since the world’s two best women’s tennis players squared off in a Grand Slam final.
Only at Wimbledon in 2016 did the final of a Major feature a matchup between two of the tournament’s top five seeds, and only three times in the last three years have two of the top ten players met for the championship.
Therefore, a strategic conflict may add to the pomp and circumstance of the event.
Different shades of Swiatek
Swiatek’s path to the championship seems logical, even to the untrained eye. She was absolutely unbeatable on tour for the first part of the season. However, her performance at the Open this year has been very different from her early season dominance.
The Polish player won the French Open and went on a 37-match winning streak because of her formidable serve, baseline aggression, and determination.
However, Swiatek has not been performing up to par as of late. Her preparation for the US Open was lackluster. While she showed some muscle in the opening week, she still needed to stage impressive comebacks against Jule Niemeier in the fourth round and Aryna Sabalenka in the semifinals to advance. The key to success has been a minor shift in strategy and her renewed determination.
Swiatek was an outspoken opponent of the US Open’s decision to use lighter, regular-duty balls for women rather than the heavier, extra-regular-duty balls used for men.
She has problems with timing and accuracy, as evidenced by the occasional misfires and missed rounds she has sprayed. Her strategy shift against Sabalenka was particularly noticeable in the last moments of the third set when she made a concerted effort to reduce unforced errors while also effectively neutralizing Sabalenka’s powerful serve and first stroke and rerouting the momentum of the match.
The Pole isn’t a counterpuncher by any stretch of the imagination, but having that option while facing an aggressive opponent like Jabeur could be crucial.
The serve by Jabeur
To beat Jabeur’s serve, Swiatek will need all the cunning and determination she’s shown against earlier opponents. The Tunisian’s progress this year has been steady; she finished second at Wimbledon despite blowing a one-set lead, and her serve has been devastating thus far this tournament.
Caroline Garcia, the champion of Cincinnati and the owner of a 13-match winning streak, was no match for her in the semifinals. One of the main reasons Garcia was able to gain the lead in matches was because she was so good at making her opponents make mistakes on their own serves. The Frenchwoman’s return had good depth, but her aggressive posture well inside the baseline might give most players trouble.
This was not a problem for Jabeur, who easily overcame it. While the Tunisian only had a 45 percent first-serve success rate, she hammered eight aces and faced no break points at all. And if she needs to, she can switch it up and resort to the body serve. To counteract Jabeur’s serve, Swiatek will need a variety of shots and return positions to keep her opponent off guard.
Power vs variety
Whatever else may be said about Jabeur and her game, the one thing that stands out the most is her incredible feel for the ball, which she uses to great use by consistently surprising her opponents with massive winners down the line, stunning drop shots, and low slices. Even with longer baseline exchanges, it becomes difficult to devise a strategy against her.
It was a challenge, but Swiatek proved she was up to it in their most recent meeting. Although the Italian Open final took place on clay, where Swiatek excels, the 6-2, 6-2 scoreline was the consequence of the Pole’s unrelenting focus on offense. Her game relies on the power of her groundstrokes, which can be unrelenting even against a strong defense, and when her faults are under control, her inherent power seems likely to triumph.
Even if errors have been reduced in recent years at the Open, Jabeur’s combination of variety and athleticism promises to make their match an intriguing tactical fight with the greatest stakes possible.
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