(Fort Worth) World number one Iga Swiatek extended her winning streak to 13 against top-10 players on Tuesday night after beating Daria Kasatkina in straight sets 6-2, 6-3 in a the group stage of the WTA Finals.
Posted at 9:54 p.m.
Swiatek, a 21-year-old from Poland, has established herself as the dominant force in women’s tennis this season. She won two Grand Slam titles and won a grand total of eight trophies.
Her 65-8 overall record, including a perfect 5-0 record against Kasatkina in 2022, puts her first in the women’s league this year.
Swiatek started the game with authority, building a 3-0 cushion. She quickly adapted to the slow playing surface covering the temporary court set up inside Dickies Arena. This departure, she said, gave her confidence for the rest of the matchup.
PHOTO RON JENKINS, ASSOCIATED PRESS
Daria Kasatkina
Against Kasatkina, Swiatek faced three break points, and she saved them all. This victory allowed her to increase her record, in 2022, to 13-1 against players ranked in the top-10. Her only defeat came in her first-ever match under these circumstances, in January, against retired Australian Ashleigh Barty.
Barty was at the top of the world rankings when she left the sport in March at the age of 25. This retirement allowed Swiatek to rise to the top of the rankings, a position she has not ceded since.
Her 13-game winning streak against top-10 players is the best since 2007, when Belgium’s Justine Henin won 15 straight against top-10 ranked rivals.
The French Caroline Garcia, ranked sixth, will be the next to try to stop Swiatek. In Tuesday’s other game, Garcia beat fourth-seeded American Coco Gauff in straight sets 6-4, 6-3.