Iga Swiatek lifted her second title of the 2023 season after defeating Aryna Sabalenka in the Porsche Tennis Grand Prix final.
Currently, the two best players on the WTA Tour met in the final in Stuttgart, and naturally, it was also a match between the first and second-seeded players. The world no. 1 Swiatek was looking to forget her injury troubles from Miami, while Sabalenka wanted to follow up on a great season start and record her third win against the Pole in their seventh meeting.
Their journeys to the final in Stuttgart were quite similar, but the main difference was a semifinal match. While the Belarusian destroyed Anastasia Potapova in 60 minutes, Swiatek had to play only three games as her opponent, Ons Jabeur, retired due to an injury.
The final was a spectacular one and it surely delivered as the two players fought not only for their share of prize money and points but also Porsche Taycan Turbo S Sport Turismo, which is awarded to the champion and they could see throughout the whole tournament right behind them.
Both players displayed exceptional level in the first set, and it was especially on their service games when they were dominant. Sabalenka couldn't create any break point chances in the opening set, and that was the deciding factor.
On the other hand, Swiatek had four break points, and although she didn't use her first chance already in the second game, she used one of three break points that she had in the eighth game to win the first set 6-3.
The Pole started the second set better as she broke her opponent's serve already in the first game. Both players than had one chance to break, but they weren't successful and slowly but surely we were coming into deciding games.
The second set included also an interesting moment when Sabalenka had an overhead to play, but Swiatek ran up to the net in an attempt to hit the ball as the Belarusian ended up almost hitting her, but apologizing afterwards.
But even that didn't change the outcome of the second set and the match as Swiatek beat Sabalenka in an hour and 50 minutes 6-3, 6-4 to win the 2023 Porsche Tennis Grand Prix in Stuttgart and lift her second title of the season.
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