Swiatek crushes Pliskova to win Italian Open
'Old guys' Djokovic, Nadal set up 57th career clash
Published: 09:05 PM,May 16,2021 | EDITED : 07:05 PM,May 16,2021
Poland's Iga Swiatek with the trophy after beating Czech Republic's Karolina Pliskova in the final of Italian Open. -- AFP
ROME: Polish teenager Iga Swiatek crushed Czech ninth seed Karolina Pliskova 6-0, 6-0 to win the Italian Open on Sunday.
The 19-year-old reigning French Open champion took just 45 minutes to dispatch the 2019 Rome winner two weeks before she opens her title defence in Roland Garros.
Swiatek, ranked 15, claimed her third WTA title having followed her Roland Garros success with a win in Adelaide in January.
'I'm really, really happy,' said an emotional Swiatek.
'I'm overwhelmed, at the beginning of this tournament I would not have dreamed of winning it.'
Swiatek swept through the first set in just 20 minutes, with Pliskova winning just four points.
Pliskova tried to fight back in the third game of the second set, holding a double break to go 2-1, but the Polish player ruthlessly snuffed out any return.
'I will just quickly forget about today,' said Pliskova, the world number nine, who was playing in her third consecutive Rome final.
The former world number one retired injured in last year's final to Romania's Simona Halep.
'I've had some great matches here, in the past I did well.'
In the semifinals, Pliskova saw off Croatia's Petra Martic 6-1, 3-6, 6-2 to return to the final of a tournament she won in 2019 and finished runner-up at last year.
Swiatek, 19, claimed back-to-back wins on the day.
She first ousted fifth seed Elina Svitolina, a two-time Rome winner, 6-2, 7-5 in their quarterfinal which had been pushed back from Friday because of rain.
She then saw off 17-year-old American Coco Gauff 7-6 (7/3), 6-3 in the semis.
DJOKOVIC SETS UP NADAL FINAL
In the men's section, world number one Novak Djokovic on Saturday battled past Italian Lorenzo Sonego to set up a clash with nine-time winner Rafael Nadal for the sixth time in the Italian Open final.
Defending champion Djokovic won 6-3, 6-7 (5/7), 6-2 in two hours and 44 minutes against the 33rd-ranked Italian after second seed Nadal earlier swept past American Reilly Opelka 6-4, 6-4.
Djokovic had earlier survived a three-set battle with Greece's Stefanos Tsitsipas in their rain-delayed quarterfinal.
The five-time Rome champion had been trailing 6-4, 2-1 when the tie was halted overnight. But the 33-year-old came back to win 4-6, 7-5, 7-5 after more than three-and-a-quarter hours.
Djokovic and Nadal, who will be facing each other for the 57th time, last played in the 2020 French Open final which the Spaniard won in straight sets.
The pair have won 14 of the last 16 Rome titles between them, while Nadal leads their head-to-head in finals in the Italian capital 3-2.
'Rafa and I had a little laugh today in the locker room after I won against Tsitsipas,' Djokovic revealed.
'We kind of joked around about that the 'Old guys are still not giving up'.
'I'm really glad we've shown we're not backing off from the Next Gen attacks.'
Nadal saved two match points to defeat Canada's Denis Shapovalov in the third round, and then ousted Madrid Open slayer Alexander Zverev in the quarter-finals.
'I saw he said a few days ago that Roger (Federer), him and I are old, but I disagree, I think we're showing some different fresh energy,' said the Serbian.
'It's great to play him again in the final.
'He's the guy that I have encountered the most in my career, definitely my biggest rival of all time.'
On Saturday, Djokovic let two match points slip in the second set of his semi-final.
He then saved three break points in the first game of the third set, before powering towards his 11th Rome final.
'I've only myself to blame for not closing the match in the second set, I could have and should have,' said Djokovic.
Nadal staved off break points in the fourth game against Opelka and did not look back.
'Another chance to play on a big stage, in a big final,' said Nadal. 'It's important for my confidence to be back in a final.'
Nadal is looking to equal Djokovic's record of 36 Masters 1000 titles in his 12th Rome final, while his opponent would pull two clear with a win. -- AFP
The 19-year-old reigning French Open champion took just 45 minutes to dispatch the 2019 Rome winner two weeks before she opens her title defence in Roland Garros.
Swiatek, ranked 15, claimed her third WTA title having followed her Roland Garros success with a win in Adelaide in January.
'I'm really, really happy,' said an emotional Swiatek.
'I'm overwhelmed, at the beginning of this tournament I would not have dreamed of winning it.'
Swiatek swept through the first set in just 20 minutes, with Pliskova winning just four points.
Pliskova tried to fight back in the third game of the second set, holding a double break to go 2-1, but the Polish player ruthlessly snuffed out any return.
'I will just quickly forget about today,' said Pliskova, the world number nine, who was playing in her third consecutive Rome final.
The former world number one retired injured in last year's final to Romania's Simona Halep.
'I've had some great matches here, in the past I did well.'
In the semifinals, Pliskova saw off Croatia's Petra Martic 6-1, 3-6, 6-2 to return to the final of a tournament she won in 2019 and finished runner-up at last year.
Swiatek, 19, claimed back-to-back wins on the day.
She first ousted fifth seed Elina Svitolina, a two-time Rome winner, 6-2, 7-5 in their quarterfinal which had been pushed back from Friday because of rain.
She then saw off 17-year-old American Coco Gauff 7-6 (7/3), 6-3 in the semis.
DJOKOVIC SETS UP NADAL FINAL
In the men's section, world number one Novak Djokovic on Saturday battled past Italian Lorenzo Sonego to set up a clash with nine-time winner Rafael Nadal for the sixth time in the Italian Open final.
Defending champion Djokovic won 6-3, 6-7 (5/7), 6-2 in two hours and 44 minutes against the 33rd-ranked Italian after second seed Nadal earlier swept past American Reilly Opelka 6-4, 6-4.
Djokovic had earlier survived a three-set battle with Greece's Stefanos Tsitsipas in their rain-delayed quarterfinal.
The five-time Rome champion had been trailing 6-4, 2-1 when the tie was halted overnight. But the 33-year-old came back to win 4-6, 7-5, 7-5 after more than three-and-a-quarter hours.
Djokovic and Nadal, who will be facing each other for the 57th time, last played in the 2020 French Open final which the Spaniard won in straight sets.
The pair have won 14 of the last 16 Rome titles between them, while Nadal leads their head-to-head in finals in the Italian capital 3-2.
'Rafa and I had a little laugh today in the locker room after I won against Tsitsipas,' Djokovic revealed.
'We kind of joked around about that the 'Old guys are still not giving up'.
'I'm really glad we've shown we're not backing off from the Next Gen attacks.'
Nadal saved two match points to defeat Canada's Denis Shapovalov in the third round, and then ousted Madrid Open slayer Alexander Zverev in the quarter-finals.
'I saw he said a few days ago that Roger (Federer), him and I are old, but I disagree, I think we're showing some different fresh energy,' said the Serbian.
'It's great to play him again in the final.
'He's the guy that I have encountered the most in my career, definitely my biggest rival of all time.'
On Saturday, Djokovic let two match points slip in the second set of his semi-final.
He then saved three break points in the first game of the third set, before powering towards his 11th Rome final.
'I've only myself to blame for not closing the match in the second set, I could have and should have,' said Djokovic.
Nadal staved off break points in the fourth game against Opelka and did not look back.
'Another chance to play on a big stage, in a big final,' said Nadal. 'It's important for my confidence to be back in a final.'
Nadal is looking to equal Djokovic's record of 36 Masters 1000 titles in his 12th Rome final, while his opponent would pull two clear with a win. -- AFP