A rainout the previous day led to a busy Saturday at the Korea Open, featuring both quarterfinals and semifinals played closely together.
Seoul: Scores | Draws | Order of play
World No. 2 Iga Swiatek faced Barbora Krejcikova in what was anticipated to be a tough quarterfinal. However, Swiatek overwhelmed the former Grand Slam champion, winning the first set 6-0. After exchanging breaks early in the second set, Swiatek broke for a 4-3 advantage, wrapping up the match in 1 hour and 23 minutes with a score of 6-0, 6-3.
After a short break, Swiatek faced Maya Joint, who had upset No. 3 seed Clara Tauson in the quarterfinals. Despite Joint’s impressive run, she was unable to contend with Swiatek, who showcased her dominance once again, winning 6-0, 6-2 in just over an hour and advancing to the final.
Swiatek quickly established control, breaking Joint in the opening game and effortlessly winning the first set in just 25 minutes. Joint finally held serve at the start of the second set but could not keep up with Swiatek, who captured four consecutive games. Although Joint managed to break Swiatek later in the set, Swiatek secured the final two games, ending the match with a net smash.
While Swiatek waits to find out her opponent for Sunday’s final, she feels confident in her recent performances. “I’ll focus on myself and the goals I set at the start,” she said. This will be her fourth final this season and her first at the Korea Open.
Alexandrova Takes Down Qualifiers to Reach Seoul Final
In contrast to Swiatek, Ekaterina Alexandrova faced a tougher day, but the No. 2 seed managed to secure her spot in the final against Swiatek. After a 6-2, 6-3 quarterfinal victory over German qualifier Ella Seidel, Alexandrova faced a challenging semifinal against Katerina Siniakova.
Alexandrova encountered 11 break points but saved eight, while Seidel managed to save just four of her ten chances, resulting in a hard-fought win. In the semifinal, Alexandrova broke Siniakova to take the first set and eventually won 6-4, 6-2 after dominating the latter stages of the match.
This marks Alexandrova’s third final of the season and her second appearance in the Korea Open final, having previously won the title in 2022. “I’m excited to return to the final here,” she remarked, acknowledging the challenge ahead.
Top Seeds Swiatek and Alexandrova Set for Final Duel
Sunday’s final will see the top two seeds, Swiatek and Alexandrova, go head-to-head for the first time in a WTA final. Swiatek leads their career meetings 5-2, including both matches this season. With Swiatek’s progression, it continues a trend of top seeds reaching the final in Seoul for the fourth consecutive year.
