Iga Swiatek forced to apologise for cheeky tactic that angered fans

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Iga Swiatek has apologised to Donna Vekic after being accused of hindrance during their final at the San Diego Open. The world No 1 won a remarkable eighth title of 2022 as she defeated the Croat in three sets but came under fire for a moment in the match that saw her wave her hands at Vekic while up at the net.

Swiatek’s incredible 2022 season continued as she picked up her eighth title of the year in San Diego. The top seed defeated Vekic 6-3 3-6 6-0 but found herself receiving criticism for a moment in the match that many claimed was a form of hindrance.

Facing a break point in the second set, the 21-year-old approached the net during a rally and could be seen waving both of her arms in the air while Vekic was trying to return the ball. The 26-year-old ended up winning the point to take a crucial break-lead in the second set, winning it 6-3, but some fans were still unhappy with Swiatek’s conduct.

And it appears that the Pole herself thought her actions could be seen as hindrance, as she took to Twitter to publicly apologise to Vekic. “This is the best prize/trophy ever! Thank you San Diego for an amazing (cloudy) week and this unique vibe. I love it here,” she started, sharing a photo of herself on a surfboard during the trophy presentation.

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“And congrats @DonnaVekic for your amazing run! And sorry for waving my hands at the net.” While some were unhappy with what appeared to be an attempt to put Vekic off, Swiatek has also been praised for her decision to apologise.

Retired pro Pam Shriver replied: “Love the apology for the impulsive hindrance that was not necessary. Making amends for mistakes is a mature thing to do.” But TV sports director Matt Dowell said: “This arm waving thing Swiatek does is so bush league and straight up hindrance.”

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Vekic had been enjoying a resurgent week, coming through qualifying to make the main draw in San Diego before going on an impressive run as she beat a series of top players in Maria Sakkari, Karolina Pliskova, Aryna Sabalenka and Danielle Collins en route to the final. Her semi-final with Collins had been postponed overnight for rain, with the American leading by a break in the final set.

The 26-year-old resumed her match on Sunday morning and came from a break down to win in a tiebreak, playing the final with Swiatek just hours later. While she fell at the final hurdle, Vekic has risen 30 places in the rankings from No 77 to No 47 as a result of her week in San Diego, getting closer to her career high of world No 19 from three years ago.

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