Photos by Bill Harper
By Bob Phillips
NEW HAVEN—Agnieszka Radwanska of Poland topped Elina Svitolina of
Ukraine 6-1, 7-6(3) to win the Connecticut Open on Saturday for the first time
in her career. The 21-year-old Polish star did not lose a set the entire
tournament.
After Radwanska cruised through the first set, jumping out
to a 5-0 lead, winning 20 of the first 27 points in the match, and winning, 6-1,
in just 29 minutes. The second set, however, proved to be much more
competitive.
Radwanska had the opportunity to apply the dagger in the
second set when, tied at three, she broke her Ukrainian opponent’s serve to
take a 4-3 lead. That gave her the opportunity to serve out the match. But
Svitolina had other ideas. She broke right back to even the set at 4-4, but
then Radwanska broke Svitolina’s serve once more in an epic 15-volley game: 5-4
Radwanska, and one service hold away from the championship. But Svitolina broke
right back, tying the match at 5-5. The Ukrainian then appeared to seize
control of the set, holding serve to go up 6-5, and taking a 40-15 lead on
Radwanska’s service game—one point away from forcing a third set. But then
Radwanska reached down into that reserve owned exclusively by champions, and
rallied to win the game. That tied the set and forced a tiebreak.
In the tiebreak, Radwanska took a 4-2 lead, which meant she
needed only to hold serve to win the set, the match, and the championship. But
she did one better, breaking Svitolina in Game 8 for a 6-2 lead, then holding
serve to win the tournament.
Radwanska, who, as the No. 1 seed first earned a first-round
bye, defeated Jelena Ostapenko of Latvia (who ousted four-time champ Caroline
Wozniacki in the first round) in the second round, Kirsten Flipkens of Belgium,
a lucky loser, in the quarterfinals, and two-time defending New Haven champ
Petra Kvitová in the semifinal round.
Svitolina, the tournament’s No. 10 seed from the Ukraine, defeated Russian
Daria Kasatkina in the first round, Elena Vesnina, also of Russia, who reached
the finals in 2009 before falling to Wozniacki, in the second round, and lucky
loser Johanna Larsson of Sweden, who upset No. 2 seed Roberta Vinci, in the
semifinals. This year’s field included an unprecedented six lucky losers in the
main draw.
This was the second
win of the season for the 27-year-old Radwanska, who also won in Shenzhen,
China, in her first tournament of the season. The win in New Haven, which she
entered as a wild card to tune up for this week’s upcoming U.S. Open in Queens,
was the 19th of her career.
With the win, she
also clinches the Emirates Airline U.S. Open Series women’s title.
“I didn’t really know that I had chance to win
[the U.S. Open Series],” said the Polish star. “I was really surprised myself
when I find out (Friday) I can be No. 1 in that list, as well. So now it’s
everything in my power to do good in the US Open. It will be worth it, right?”
What it will be
worth is an extra $1 million if she wins the U.S. Open, where she will be the
No. 4 seed. If she goes the distance at Flushing Meadows, Radwanska will earn
$4.5 million—$3.5 million for winning the Open, and a $1 million bonus as U.S.
Open Series champion.
“It’s been a
couple of good weeks,” said Radwanska.
—With Kristine Phillips and Staff Reports
—With Kristine Phillips and Staff Reports
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