Preview: Swiatek to Face Paolini in Cincy Final

THIRD TIME’S A CHARM FOR THIRD-SEEDED POLE

By Richard Osborn

[3] IGA SWIATEK (POL) VS. [7] JASMINE PAOLINI (ITA)
NOT BEFORE 6 P.M. | P&G CENTER COURT

Iga Swiatek is in good company when it comes to the all-time WTA 1000 honor roll. Only Serena Williams, Steffi Graf, Martina Hingis, Maria Sharapova and Lindsay Davenport own more career titles in the category.

The Pole will go for an 11th 1000 crown on Monday at the Cincinnati Open when she faces Italy’s Jasmine Paolini, her first appearance in the title match after three straight trips to the semis at the Lindner Family Tennis Center.

If the always-dialed-in Swiatek has come off a little more at ease this week, it might be because the six-time major singles titlist is finally allowing herself to appreciate her achievements on the tennis court. At least for the moment. The world No. 3 says her first Wimbledon title, captured last month courtesy of a dominant double-bagel dismissal of American Amanda Anisimova at the All England Club, somehow felt different.

“I don’t usually let myself be happy that long,” said Swiatek. “Sometimes when I was winning these tournaments, I just immediately thought about the next one. Now I feel like, ‘Winning Wimbledon is going to be with you for the rest of your life.’ I let myself be happy a little bit longer.”  

“I think everybody has a different system, because there are people that like to wake up and be like, ‘Oh, I want this! I want that! I’m so amazing!’, and then they go to work so inspired. But I’m more of a person that needs to just kind of be humble.”

Swiatek said she was particularly proud of the way she held her ground against another Wimbledon champ, 2022 winner Elena Rybakina, in Sunday’s semis. The 5-foot-9 baseliner stubbornly withstood Rybakina’s relentless power game, 7-5, 6-3, in one hour and 38 minutes.  

“I was even surprised that I was able to keep up with the pace, because we played so fast,” said Swiatek, who with the win secured a spot in the year-end WTA Finals. “I just wanted to be there when Elena started making mistakes, because I think it’s impossible to play at such a good level throughout the whole match. I’m happy that I was there and I wasn’t frustrated when she was acing me and playing so perfectly.”

Swiatek has never lost to Paolini in five career head-to-heads, defeating the two-time Grand Slam finalist earlier this summer in the Bad Homburg semis, 6-1, 6-3, on grass. But she won’t be taking her 29-year-old foe lightly.

“Jasmine plays fast, but with a lot of spin, and she has a lot of variety in terms of going to the net as well,” said Swiatek. “I’m going to have to prepare tactically, but I’m just going to kind of focus on myself.”

“It’s been really tough against her,” said Paolini. “She’s an amazing player. It’s always tough to play her. She defends really well, serves well. But I’ll try to do my best. I’m in the final, I like the conditions here. Let’s fight.”

Paolini advanced via a tough 6-3, 6-7(2), 6-3 decision over Veronika Kudermetova, who was appearing in her third WTA 1000 semifinal. Clocking overtime this week, Paolini, the Olympic gold medalist last year in Paris, also reached the final four in the doubles draw alongside countrywoman Sara Errani. But she says she still has some energy stored up. It’s another big-stage opportunity, after all; just the kind of situation in which the Italian thrives. 

“I think it’s your dream to play these kinds of matches,” she said. “Usually, I was watching those matches on TV. Now to be able to play some of them, it’s amazing. It’s also nice to compete with champions like Iga or Coco [whom she upended in the quarterfinals, 2-6, 6-4, 6-3]. To me, it’s the goal to play those matches and to try to win them, as well. The people, the energy that you feel, it’s a bit different.” 

Early in their careers, both finalists were considered slow-surface specialists. Swiatek has since prevailed at both Wimbledon and the US Open. Last year, Paolini claimed a WTA 1000 title on a hard court in Dubai. On Monday, we’ll find out who can handle the uber-fast courts of the Cincinnati Open the best.