Swiatek starts WTA Finals with fast win

RIYADH:

Iga Swiatek made a ruthless start to her WTA Finals campaign, handing Madison Keys a 6-1, 6-2 defeat on day one of the season-ending championships in Riyadh on Saturday.

The Polish second seed claimed a tour-leading 62nd victory of the year and improved to 7-2 head-to-head against Keys.

Swiatek is seeking a second WTA Finals crown, having lifted the trophy in Cancun two years ago.

Meanwhile, Keys qualified for the tournament for the first time since 2016 and is one of four Americans in the eight-player singles field in Saudi Arabia this week.

The pair share the Serena Williams Group alongside Amanda Anisimova and Elena Rybakina, who will square off later in the day.

"It feels great to be back in Riyadh especially that we've been switching places the last few years," said Swiatek, who is competing in the Finals for a fifth consecutive season.

"Honestly, I'm happy about everything; all the things that I practised, I got it together today, playing with the right balance between playing solid and aggressive.

"I put in the work in Warsaw before the tournament. That gives me for sure confidence to go forward and develop as a player."
Swiatek played a near-flawless match to kick off proceedings at the King Saud University Indoor Arena, sealing the win in 61 minutes.

Keys, the reigning Australian Open champion, hadn't played a match in over two months -- since her first-round loss at the US Open -- and was understandably rusty at the start, getting broken at love in the opening game of the contest.

Swiatek won 20 of the first 23 points to build a 5-0 advantage, painting the lines with some inch-perfect groundstrokes off both wings.

Keys finally got on the board with a much-needed hold in game six but that didn't stop her opponent from wrapping up the first set in 23 minutes.

The duo exchanged breaks at the start of the second frame but it was Swiatek who once again grabbed the momentum, forging ahead 5-2.

Keys saved two match points on the Swiatek serve as the Pole showed signs of shakiness trying to close out the contest. But it was only a brief lapse, as Swiatek swatted away a pair of break points en route to a dominant victory.