Iga Swiatek secured back-to-back French Open titles on Saturday after battling past Karolina Muchova in Paris on Saturday.
The world No 1 made a strong start but her opponent fought back to clinch the second set. Swiatek then raised her game in the decider to prevail 6-2, 5-7, 6-4 against the unseeded Czech at Roland Garros.
The Pole who has now won the French Open crown three times in four years. It was also Swiatek's fourth Grand Slam title, with the 22-year-old having also triumphed at the US Open last year.
Muchova has enjoyed a memorable tournament – defeating eighth seed Maria Sakkari in the first round, 2021 runner-up Anastasia Pavlyuchenkova in the quarter-final and then world No 2 Aryna Sabalenka in the last four – but Swiatek proved a step too far.
"First of all, congrats to Karolina," Swiatek said. "I really hope we're going to have many more finals. To my team, sorry for being such a pain. I'll try to do better.
"I know that we won this tournament but it's not easy being on tour for a couple of weeks without breaks. I'm really happy we can feel satisfied right now and just celebrate."
She became the first woman since Justine Henin in 2007 to successfully defend her title on the Paris clay and joins Naomi Osaka on four grand slam titles - veteran Venus Williams with seven is the only active player to hold more.
Muchova made too many unforced errors at the start. A second break of serve gave Swiatek the opening set.
When she moved 3-0 ahead again in the second, it seemed Swiatek would complete victory in double quick time. But Muchova dug in and broke Swiatek for the first time in the fifth game with a running forehand.
The Pole suddenly felt the pressure, a double fault handing Muchova the chance to serve for the set.
She could not take it but another shaky game from Swiatek gave her another chance. Muchova clinched her third set point after a stunning all-court rally.
Muchova moved into a 2-0 lead in the decider as Swiatek threatened to implode but the 22-year-old pulled herself together quickly to level.
They exchanged breaks again in the seventh and eighth games, with Muchova unable to pull away, and Swiatek was back to top when she fought off another break point to hold for 5-4.
The pressure of serving to stay in the contest proved too much for Muchova, who made three errors before double-faulting on match point to hand over the title.
"This is incredible, thank you everyone. It's been an amazing three weeks in Paris for me and my team," Muchova said after the match.
"This was so close but yet so far. This happens when you play one of the best. Iga, I want to congratulate you again and your team. To my box, when I look at those people I actually feel like I'm the winner so thank you. I hope this is only the beginning for us. We've come a long way."
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The specs
Engine: 3.0-litre twin-turbo flat-six
Power: 480hp at 6,500rpm
Torque: 570Nm from 2,300-5,000rpm
Transmission: 8-speed dual-clutch auto
Fuel consumption: 10.4L/100km
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Estijaba – 8001717 – number to call to request coronavirus testing
Ministry of Health and Prevention – 80011111
Dubai Health Authority – 800342 – The number to book a free video or voice consultation with a doctor or connect to a local health centre
Emirates airline – 600555555
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Ambulance – 998
Knowledge and Human Development Authority – 8005432 ext. 4 for Covid-19 queries
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Scores in brief:
Boost Defenders 205-5 in 20 overs
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bt Auckland Aces 170 for 5 in 20 overs
(Rob O’Donnell 67 not out, Kyle Abbott 3-21).
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GAC GS8 Specs
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Power: 248hp at 5,200rpm
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Lewis Hamilton in 2018
Australia 2nd; Bahrain 3rd; China 4th; Azerbaijan 1st; Spain 1st; Monaco 3rd; Canada 5th; France 1st; Austria DNF; Britain 2nd; Germany 1st; Hungary 1st; Belgium 2nd; Italy 1st; Singapore 1st; Russia 1st; Japan 1st; United States 3rd; Mexico 4th
Other ways to buy used products in the UAE
UAE insurance firm Al Wathba National Insurance Company (AWNIC) last year launched an e-commerce website with a facility enabling users to buy car wrecks.
Bidders and potential buyers register on the online salvage car auction portal to view vehicles, review condition reports, or arrange physical surveys, and then start bidding for motors they plan to restore or harvest for parts.
Physical salvage car auctions are a common method for insurers around the world to move on heavily damaged vehicles, but AWNIC is one of the few UAE insurers to offer such services online.
For cars and less sizeable items such as bicycles and furniture, Dubizzle is arguably the best-known marketplace for pre-loved.
Founded in 2005, in recent years it has been joined by a plethora of Facebook community pages for shifting used goods, including Abu Dhabi Marketplace, Flea Market UAE and Arabian Ranches Souq Market while sites such as The Luxury Closet and Riot deal largely in second-hand fashion.
At the high-end of the pre-used spectrum, resellers such as Timepiece360.ae, WatchBox Middle East and Watches Market Dubai deal in authenticated second-hand luxury timepieces from brands such as Rolex, Hublot and Tag Heuer, with a warranty.
