Iga Swiatek was on the brink of losing to Ekaterina Alexandrova in the Seoul final before mounting an impressive 1-6 7-6 (3) 7-5 comeback in nearly three hours of play.
Swiatek, who was the top seed in her debut at the Korea Open, made a very slow start to the Seoul final and lost her serve three times in the first set.
At the start of the second set, Swiatek showed some signs of life by claiming her first break of the match - but she quickly blew it. With Alexandrova leading 6-5 in the second set, the Pole also faced 15-30 on her serve. Two points away from losing the final, the top seed managed to survive the 12th game and force a tie-break, in which she went 3-0 up before realizing her set point to send the match into a decider.
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After losing a tight second set, Alexandrova bounced back by opening a 3-1 third-set lead. However, once again, Swiatek dug herself out of a tough situation as she registered breaks in the sixth and 12th games to overturn the deficit and complete her comeback.
For the 24-year-old Pole, this was her 25th WTA title. On the year, she now has three triumphs - she previously won Wimbledon and Cincinnati.
Swiatek's reaction to winning Seoul in her tournament debut
I want to congratulate Ekaterina for an amazing week and amazing final. I dont know how I won it, honestly. You were just playing great. I was just trying to stay alive. Congrats to your team as well. Great job. Hopefully we will play more finals. I want to thank my team as well. Sorry for being sometimes Hard. Thank you for the patience. It wasnt an easy week. Thank you for staying with me," Swiatek said after edging out Alexandrova for the Seoul title.
