Swiatek v Krejcikova in Ostrava chosen for WTA Match of the Year
WTA
The epic three-set match between Iga Swiatek and Barbora Krejcikova at the Ostrava Open was chosen as the best WTA match of 2022.
At the end of the 2022 season, both Swiatek and Krejcikova used the home-like conditions to reach the final at the WTA 500 tournament in Ostrava. Swiatek was the top seed at the event, and she cruised through the draw.
Thanks to being the first-seeded player, the Pole received a first-round bye. After that, Ajla Tomljanovic retired in the second set of their second-round match, before Swiatek also beat Caty McNally and Ekaterina Alexandrova, who was the only player who stole a set from her.
Krejcikova wasn't seeded in Ostrava, but she still played one less match. After beating Shelby Rogers, her second-round opponent Belinda Bencic withdrew from the tournament. The Czech player then beat Alycia Parks and Elena Rybakina.
Given the setting, there couldn't possibly be a better final line-up in Ostrava. The arena is only about a 20-minute car ride from Poland, which meant that while the event took place in the Czech Republic, there was about an even number of Polish and Czech fans.
Both Swiatek and Krejcikova used the electric atmosphere to deliver an absolute masterclass. They battled on the court for over three hours, and Krejcikova ultimately stunned Swiatek, winning the match 5-7, 7-6(4), 6-3.
After winning seven final matches in 2022, it was the first and only one that Swiatek lost this year. Now, a few months later, fans chose it as the best WTA match of the 2022 season.
Fans who missed it can watch some incredible condensed highlights on YouTube, as well as the entire match, which the WTA uploaded after it was selected as the best match of the year, and those who had a chance to attend it will hope to get a rematch sometime in 2023.
