Swiatek overpowers Sabalenka to win Stuttgart title

STUTTGART, Germany : World number one Iga Swiatek captured her fourth straight title of the 2022 season by beating Belarusian Aryna Sabalenka 6-2 6-2 in the Stuttgart Open final on Sunday, extending her winning streak to 23 matches.

Swiatek, a former French Open champion, had breezed through the opening rounds of the WTA 500 claycourt tournament before facing her biggest test in the semi-finals, where she battled back from a set down to overcome Ludmilla Samsonova on Saturday.

The Polish 20-year-old showed little signs of fatigue from that marathon clash as she saved an early breakpoint and raced to a 3-0 lead before holding firm and taking the opening set when third-seeded Sabalenka, last year's runner-up, double-faulted.

The pair had split their previous meetings - in last year's WTA Finals and the Qatar Open in February - but it was the in-form Swiatek who excelled in their first claycourt match, dealing effortlessly with her opponent's big hitting.

The error-prone Sabalenka looked to mount a comeback after a crucial hold of serve at the start of the second set but Swiatek switched gears to break for a 4-2 lead and completed the victory when the Belarusian sent a shot long.

Debutant Swiatek's success in Stuttgart follows her triumphs in Doha, Indian Wells and Miami, and makes her a firm favourite for Roland Garros starting on May 22.