Two weeks after her first misstep in a final this season, in Ostrava where the Czech Barbora Krejcikova, over-motivated in front of her home crowd, prevented her from staying on a 100% mark, the 21-year-old Polish continued, imperturbable, her march in before.

She enforced logic at the expense of a modest opponent, against whom she now leads three wins to zero, and who had qualified only three hours earlier, after overthrowing 6-4, 4-6, 7-6 (7/2) the American Danielle Collins (19th), finalist of the Australian Open, after a match that they had not been able to finish the day before because of the rain.

This therefore left little time for Vekic to project himself into his first season finale.

And Swiatek, better entered the meeting, with a successful break in the sixth game, won the first set in 40 minutes.

The 26-year-old Croatian, who was looking for a third title on the circuit, after those won in Kuala Lumpur (2014), Nottingham (2017) and Courmayeur (2021), nevertheless found a way to raise her level of play. in the second set, seizing the opposing serve to lead 4-2 and then hold that advantage.

64 wins

Swiatek, pushed into the third set, as in the semi-finals by the American Jessica Pegula, then redoubled her aggressiveness so as not to let confidence settle in her rival, finally swept away by her battering after 1h47.

"It was a close game, very intense physically. It was up to whoever would dictate the exchanges. I wanted to give it my all (in the third set), and knowing how Donna can serve, I wanted to be more relaxed on the return, not procrastinate too much and follow my instincts. I wanted to give it my all, fight on every ball. It gave me confidence," she reacted hotly.

Poland's Iga Swiatek in her final of the WTA 500 tournament in San Diego against Croatian Donna Vekic, October 16, 2022 Michael Owens GETTY IMAGES NORTH AMERICA/AFP

Here is the Polish woman who adds an 11th trophy to her list, the eighth for this year alone after those gleaned in Doha, Indian Wells, Miami, Rome, Stuttgart, Roland-Garros and the US Open, displaying an almost unchallenged domination over the WTA circuit, since Ashleigh Barty retired after winning the Australian Open at the end of January.

His record on American cement in 2022 is impressive: 24 wins, 1 loss.

Suffice to say that the current best player in the world, who is now at 64 matches won in 2022, will leave largely favorite at the Women's Masters, which will be played from October 31 to November 7 in Fort Worth, Texas.

© 2022 AFP