SEOUL: Iga Swiatek blazed into the Korea Open final after bad weather forced her to play two matches on Saturday, winning both in a combined time of two and a half hours.
The Polish six-time Grand Slam champion thrashed the Czech Republic’s Barbora Krejcikova 6-0, 6-3 in a quarter-final moved from Friday because of heavy rain, then returned to the court hours later to face Australia’s Maya Joint.
World number two Swiatek was just as clinical against her semifinal opponent, winning 6-0, 6-2 to move into her fifth final of the year.
In Sunday’s final, she will face Russia’s Ekaterina Alexandrova, who beat Czech Republic’s Katerina Siniakova 6-4, 6-2 in the other semifinal.
“I just focused on myself and on the goals that I had before and continued doing what I was doing throughout the whole tournament, because it’s been working,” said Swiatek.
Swiatek came into the Seoul tournament on the back of a stunning quarter-final defeat to eventual finalist Amanda Anisimova at the US Open.
Swiatek, whose father Tomasz competed in rowing at the 1988 Seoul Olympics, dispatched Krejcikova in 1 hour, 25 minutes.
She had an even shorter evening’s work against Joint, winning in 1 hour, 6 minutes.
Swiatek was all business from start to finish against Joint, clinching the match with an easy winner at the net.
All four quarter-finals were pushed back a day from Friday as bad weather continued to affect the tournament, which has been hit with delays all week.
Swiatek shrugs off double duty to reach Korea Open final
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Swiatek shrugs off double duty to reach Korea Open final
- The Polish six-time Grand Slam champion thrashed the Czech Republic’s Barbora Krejcikova 6-0, 6-3
- In Sunday’s final, she will face Russia’s Ekaterina Alexandrova
Messi dazzles as Miami beat Vancouver to win MLS title
- Argentina superstar Messi provided assists for two goals and helped create another to spark wild celebrations before a rapturous home crowd at the Chase Stadium in Fort Lauderdale
FORT LAUDERDALE, United States: Lionel Messi inspired Inter Miami to their first ever MLS Cup title on Saturday, playing a leading role in a 3-1 victory over the Vancouver Whitecaps in Florida.
Argentina superstar Messi provided assists for two goals and helped create another to spark wild celebrations before a rapturous home crowd at the Chase Stadium in Fort Lauderdale.
Miami took the lead after an early Edier Ocampo own goal but were left reeling by Ali Ahmed’s second half-equalizer for Vancouver.
But Messi then laid on an assist for Argentina international team-mate Rodrigo De Paul to put Miami 2-1 up before supplying the pass for Tadeo Allende’s injury time goal that sealed victory.
Miami’s first Major League Soccer crown provided glittering vindication for co-owner David Beckham, the former England and Manchester United star who had long dreamed of bringing success to Miami.
“There was a lot of sleepless nights, but I always believed,” Beckham said afterwards. “I always believed in bringing the team here, and when I found the right partners I knew anything was possible.
“We always promised our fans that we would bring success, and bring the best players, and today we’ve achieved that.”
Vancouver — spearheaded by German legend Thomas Mueller — had looked the likelier victor after recovering from Ocampo’s eighth minute own goal to level through Ali Ahmed in the 60th minute.
The Whitecaps almost took the lead moments after the equalizer, with Emmanuel Sabbi’s shot crashing off both posts in the 62nd minute as Miami escaped.
But with the Whitecaps in complete control, the Canadians were stunned when Miami regained the lead after a blunder by midfielder Andres Cubas.
Cubas took too long in possession and was robbed by Messi, who skipped clear before releasing De Paul to provide the clinical finish.
Vancouver never recovered from that hammer blow and Miami started the party in injury time when Messi played in Allende for the third to make it 3-1.
The win marks the crowning achievement of Inter Miami since the club — which entered the league as an expansion club in 2020 — successfully lured Messi to Miami in 2023.
Saturday’s victory also marked the end of an era for two key figures in Miami’s rise to the top of Major League Soccer, with former Spanish internationals Jordi Alba and Sergio Busquets heading into retirement.
