"Making amends for mistakes is a mature thing to do" - Pam Shriver on Iga Swiatek's apology to Donna Vekic for apparent distraction during San Diego Open final

Iga Swiatek (L) and Pam Shriver
Iga Swiatek (L) and Pam Shriver

Iga Swiatek's dream run this season continues as she has now won her eighth title of the year. On Sunday night, the World No. 1 downed qualifier Donna Vekic of Croatia 6-3, 3-6, 6-0 in one hour and 47 minutes to become the first champion of the San Diego Open, a WTA 500 tournament.

Her eight titles of the season include four WTA 1000 events, two WTA 500 events, and two Grand Slam titles — the French and US Open. While the Pole has won a massive 64 matches so far this year, she has lost just eight. She also improved her head-to-head record against 47th-ranked Vekic to 3-0. Yesterday was the first time the Croatian won a set against Swiatek.

While the 21-year-old Pole broke her opponent four times, 26-year-old Vekic managed to break Swiatek just once. The Croatian converted her solitary break point in the second set as the two players played an extraordinary point. However, fans were left fuming when Swiatek raised both her arms at the net right after returning the ball during the point. Viewers felt as if the Pole was trying to create a distraction for her opponent.

The top seed took to social media after the match ended, congratulated Vekic, and also apologized for "waving her hands at the net."

"This is the best prize/trophy ever! Thank you San Diego for an amazing (cloudy) week and this unique vibe. I love it here. And congrats @DonnaVekic for your amazing run! And sorry for waving my hands at the net," Swiatek tweeted.

Former American player and 22-time Grand Slam doubles champion Pam Shriver was pleased to see the top player express remorse for her fault and stated that it was pretty mature of Swiatek to apologize.

"Love the apology for the impulsive hinderance that was not necessary. Making amends for mistakes is a mature thing to do. I loved my decision to go watch a regional @WTA first as a fan, then I became an accidental coach. I LOVE TENNIS," Shriver tweeted.

"We'll get back to intense practicing when we get to Dallas" - Iga Swiatek

Iga Swiatek after winning the San Diego Open
Iga Swiatek after winning the San Diego Open

After her triumph in San Diego yesterday, Iga Swiatek spoke to the WTA about getting ready for the 2022 WTA Finals, scheduled to be played from October 31- November 7 in Dallas, Texas. She stated that it's going to be "the most intense tournament of the season."

"The Finals, I think, is going to be the most intense tournament of the season, playing against the top players from Day 1," Iga Swiatek said. "We'll get back to intense practicing when we get to Dallas, but I'll have a few days in Florida to get into the rhythm before going."

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Edited by Sudeshna Banerjee
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