Swiatek outclasses Pegula
Siegemund writes German tennis history
November 7, 2023, 5:43 a.m
It’s a small piece of tennis history: Laura Siegemund is the first German to triumph in the doubles competition at the WTA Finals. Due to the chaotic weather conditions, the final had to be played a day later than planned. Iga Swiatek delivers the big show in the singles.
Laura Siegemund won the doubles title at the WTA finals and thus wrote a small piece of German tennis history. The 35-year-old prevailed in Cancun alongside her Russian partner Wera Swonarewa against the duo Ellen Perez and Nicole Melichar-Martinez (Australia/USA) 6:4, 6:4. “It was a difficult week in many respects,” said Siegemund, “the weather conditions with all the rain were very complicated. But in the end there is a big victory, a nice conclusion.”
The Polish Iga Swiatek secured the individual title. After her 6:3, 6:2 semi-final win against the previous world number one Aryna Sabalenka, the French Open winner won the final against the American Jessica Pegula even more clearly with a declassifying 6:1, 6:0. With her success, Swiatek ended a season at number one in the world rankings for the second time in a row.
A doubles tournament has been held as part of the season finale for 50 years, and no German has ever won it. Claudia Kohde-Kilsch was in the final five times: in 1983 with compatriot Eva Pfaff, then from 1985 to 1987 always alongside the Czech Helena Sukova. 36 years after Kohde-Kilsch, a German made it to the final again; Siegemund and Swonarewa came out on top in an extremely competitive match in Mexico.
Siegemund must leave as quickly as possible
There were break points in six of the ten games in the first set, both duos worked hard to win every single point – and in the second round the weakness in service became even more blatant. Neither side had dominance in their own service game, seven games offered break points and one was converted three times. After 1:39 hours, Siegemund and Swonarewa (39) used their third match point.
The two have been competing together in doubles competitions since 2020. In their first year together they won the US Open, and this season alone the duo has already been successful at tournaments in Washington, Ningbo and Nanchang. In singles, Siegemund only won the tournaments in Bastad, Sweden (2016) and Stuttgart (2017) at WTA level.
Siegemund will now leave Mexico as quickly as possible; the German team will start the final round of the Billie Jean King Cup in Seville on Thursday (10 a.m.). Siegemund should then be there despite the stress of travel and jet lag.