Iga Swiatek cruised to a dominant 6-1, 6-2 victory over Madison Keys in their highly anticipated Serena Williams Group round-robin clash at the WTA Finals in Saudi Arabia. The world No. 2 put on an assured display, taking just 61 minutes to complete her win and winning 12 out of the 15 games played.
Swiatek's strong serve was a key factor in her success, as she won five break points against Keys' defense. The Polish player's focus and determination were evident throughout the match, as she stated, "I was in the zone from the beginning to the end, and I really wanted to keep it that way." This sentiment was reflected in her performance, which saw her win 12 of the 15 games played.
The American Keys, who had been struggling with a wrist injury since being defeated in the first round of the US Open in August, looked out of touch against Swiatek. Her defeat marked Keys' first match since returning from her injury.
On the other side of the court, world No. 6 Elena Rybakina also enjoyed a dominant performance, defeating Amanda Anisimova with a straight-sets win of 6-3, 6-1. The Kazakhstani player served seven aces and converted four break points to secure her victory.
The Stefanie Graf Group begins on Sunday, with world No. 1 Aryna Sabalenka facing Jasmine Paolini, and Coco Gauff taking on Jessica Pegula in an all-American clash.
Swiatek's strong serve was a key factor in her success, as she won five break points against Keys' defense. The Polish player's focus and determination were evident throughout the match, as she stated, "I was in the zone from the beginning to the end, and I really wanted to keep it that way." This sentiment was reflected in her performance, which saw her win 12 of the 15 games played.
The American Keys, who had been struggling with a wrist injury since being defeated in the first round of the US Open in August, looked out of touch against Swiatek. Her defeat marked Keys' first match since returning from her injury.
On the other side of the court, world No. 6 Elena Rybakina also enjoyed a dominant performance, defeating Amanda Anisimova with a straight-sets win of 6-3, 6-1. The Kazakhstani player served seven aces and converted four break points to secure her victory.
The Stefanie Graf Group begins on Sunday, with world No. 1 Aryna Sabalenka facing Jasmine Paolini, and Coco Gauff taking on Jessica Pegula in an all-American clash.
OMG Iga Swiatek is ON FIRE!!! She's like a total boss out there 
her serve is insane 
she won those 5 break points like they were nothing 
Keys was struggling with that wrist injury and it showed 
but Iga didn't let up, kept pushing forward 
and took the match in just 61 minutes 
can't wait to see what the rest of the WTA Finals has in store for us 
& that win over Madison Keys is like, whoa 12 out of 15 won games? That's insane! 
. I mean Keys looked a bit off with that wrist injury but Swiatek was on fire 
. Also Elena Rybakina is looking good too, all those aces against Amanda Anisimova 
. Stats: Iga Swiatek's ace count vs Serena Williams: 4-1; Median time to win per match for Iga Swiatek: 61 min 
and yeah, Keys' wrist injury must be still bothering her 
she won five break points and just didn't let keys get back into it 
her ace stats are insane... what's she working on in her practice sessions? 
I'm watching these WTA Finals and it's like they're playing a different sport over here 
. I mean, Swiatek was dominating from the get-go, just like that 
. I remember when Serena used to have matches like this – she was unstoppable on her day 
. And wow, her serve was on point 
! I mean, five break points against Keys' defense? That's like a masterclass 
. Swiatek's focus is so admirable - it's clear she was all about winning that match 
! She absolutely dominated Madison Keys and it's not hard to see why - she's got that killer serve 
.
Swiatek was so overpowered today lol she was like a tennis robot I mean keys had no shot at beating her what's the point of even having a round robin tournament if we know the top 2 are gonna steamroll everyone else? 
. can't wait to see what the rest of the WTA Finals has in store for us! 
. Keys just looked out of shape and it's no surprise she struggled with that wrist injury. can't wait to see Iga take on Sabalenka in the Stefanie Graf Group 
6-3, 6-1 is no joke! She looked so confident out there. And those seven aces? Wow! 
. That serve of hers is untouchable, she just owns the court with it