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And then there were two.
World number one Iga Swiatek will shoot for her second Major title this year when she comes up against fifth-ranked Tunisian Ons Jabeur in Sunday morning’s (AEST) US Open women’s final.
After a brief drop in form following a 37-match winning streak which took in winning her second French Open title in June, Swiatek has re-asserted her authority on the WTA Tour, becoming the first woman from her country to get past the fourth round at Flushing Meadows.
Her run to the final included defeating three Americans, among them 2017 champion Sloane Stephens in the second round, and eighth seed Jessica Pegula in the quarter-finals; her win over the latter ending local hopes in the women’s singles.
She won four of her six matches in straight sets, and in the other two had to come from a set and a break down in either the second or third set to survive in this tournament.
Her semi-final victory over Aryna Sabalenka was considered one of the matches of the tournament, as she twice came from a break down in the deciding set to progress to her third Major final, and first in the Big Apple.
The Pole now has the chance to land her first US Open title when she comes up against Tunisian trailblazer Ons Jabeur, who will be playing in her second Major final after going down to Elena Rybakina in the Wimbledon final two months ago.
Iga Swiatek celebrates her victory against Aryna Sabalenkain the US Open semi-final. (Photo by Tim Clayton/Corbis via Getty Images)
Jabeur’s run to the final began with three straight victories over American players, including coming from behind to beat 31st seed Shelby Rogers, who unknowingly at the time inflicted the last career defeat on Ashleigh Barty at Arthur Ashe Stadium just over twelve months ago at last year’s US Open.
Also included in her run to the final was a straight-sets victory over another Aussie Ajla Tomljanovic, who in the third round put an end to the professional singles career of Serena Williams, as well as another straight-forward win over in-form French veteran Caroline Garcia.
The Tunisian will have learned plenty of lessons from her defeat to Rybakina at the All England Club two months ago and her experience of having played in a Major final will hold her in good stead when she faces Swiatek for the trophy on Sunday morning.
From four previous meetings, the pair are tied two-all, and while the Pole won their most recent meeting, in the final of the Rome Masters back in May, it was Jabeur who won in their most recent clash at a Major, coming from behind to win in three sets at Wimbledon last year.
While Jabeur will fancy her chances, it’ll be top seed Swiatek who will start as the favourite to add to the pair of French Open titles she won in 2020 and 2022.
Now that you’ve got the background info, it’s time to crunch the all-important statistics below.
[1] Iga Swiatek (POL) vs [5] Ons Jabeur (TUN)
Sunday, September 11, 6:00am (AEST)
Arthur Ashe Stadium
Head to head
All matches: 2-2
At the majors: Jabeur 1-0
In finals: Swiatek 1-0
Last meeting: Swiatek won 6-2, 6-2, final, 2022 Rome Masters.
Last meeting at a Major: Jabeur won 5-7, 6-1, 6-1, fourth round, Wimbledon 2021.
Swiatek’s road to the final
R1: def. Jasmine Paolini (ITA) 6-3, 6-0
R2: def. Sloane Stepgens (USA) 6-3, 6-2
R3: def. Lauren Davis (USA) 6-3, 6-4
R4: def. Jule Niemeier (GER) 2-6, 6-4, 6-0
QF: def. [8] Jessica Pegula (USA) 6-3, 7-6 (7-4)
SF: def. [6] Aryna Sabalenka 3-6, 6-1, 6-4
Jabeur’s road to the final
R1: def. Madison Brengle (USA) 7-5, 6-2
R2: def. Elizabeth Mandlik (USA) 7-5, 6-2
R3: def. [31] Shelby Rogers (USA) 4-6, 6-4, 6-3
R4: def. [18] Veronika Kudermetova 7-6 (6-1), 6-4
QF: def. Ajla Tomljanovic (AUS) 6-4, 7-6 (7-4)
SF: def. [17] Caroline Garcia (FRA) 6-1, 6-3
The stats that matter
* This is Swiatek’s third major final, and first outside of Roland Garros, while for Ons Jabeur this is her second Major final. For both women this is their first US Open final.
* Swiatek is the first world number one since Serena Williams in 2014 to feature in a US Open final. She is, therefore, aiming to become the first top seed since Williams that same year to win at Flushing Meadows.
* She is also the first woman from her country to reach the US Open final, no other player having even progressed past the fourth round.
* Having already become the first woman from her country to reach a Major final at Wimbledon in July, Jabeur is now the first African woman to reach the US Open final, and the second after Kevin Anderson (South Africa) in 2017.
Prediction
Iga Swiatek in straight sets.
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