Swiatek claims third trophy in Paris

FRENCH OPEN: WOMEN

World No. 1 defeats unseeded Muchova in three sets

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Poland’s Iga Swiatek celebrates winning the women’s final of the French Open against Karolina Muchova of the Czech Republic in three sets, 6-2, 5-7, 6-4, at the Roland Garros stadium in Paris on Saturday. AURELIEN MORISSARD — THE ASSOCIATED PRESS

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By Howard Fendrich

The Associated Press

PARIS >> Iga Swiatek suddenly seemed lost in the French Open final. Her strokes were awry. Her confidence was gone. Her big early lead vanished, too.

She kept looking up into the stands, seeking guidance from her coach and her sports psychologist.

So much was amiss right up until she was two games from defeat against unseeded Karolina Muchova on Saturday. And then, when she needed to most, Swiatek transformed back into, well, Swiatek. The No. 1 player in women’s tennis for more than a year. The defending champion at Roland Garros. Aggressive. Decisive. Full of clarity.

Swiatek overcame a second-set crisis and a third-set deficit to reel off the last three games, topping Muchova 6-2, 5-7, 6-4 to collect a third career championship at the French Open and fourth Grand Slam title.

“It’s pretty surreal, everything. But the match was really intense, a lot of ups and downs. Stressful moments and coming back,” said Swiatek, now 4-0 in major finals. “So I’m pretty happy that at the end I could be solid in those few last games and finish it.”

Looking comfortable as can be at the outset, she raced to a 3-0 lead after just 10 minutes in Court Philippe Chatrier — taking 12 of the initial 15 points — and then was ahead 3-0 in the second set, too, before Muchova made things more intriguing.

“I could see that she was a little bit struggling, a little bit more tense,” Muchova said.

Swiatek seemed out of sorts, unable to find the right strokes and unable to figure out why. Players are allowed to communicate with their coaches, but whatever Tomasz Wiktorowski — or sports psychologist Daria Abramowicz — might have been trying to tell Swiatek, either the message wasn’t getting through or it wasn’t working right away.

“For sure, in second set, I was more looking for some kind of advice,” Swiatek explained, “and just a view of what I’m doing wrong sometimes.”

Muchova grabbed five of six games on the way to pulling even at a set apiece. She carried that momentum into the deciding set, going ahead by a break twice.

“I came a live, a little bit,” Muchova said.

Sure did. And yet that’s when Swiatek returned to her usual brand of crisp, clean tennis, scurrying around the red clay with sublime defense and finding just the occasions to try for a winner.