Sports

New Delhi, Sep 12 (IANS) After being selected in the India squad for the 2022 T20 World Cup squad in Australia, veteran wicket-keeper batter Dinesh Karthik on Monday shared a heartfelt message on social media.

Karthik, who made another India comeback with his stellar run in the IPL 2022, has been playing the role of a finisher for RCB and the national team. Given his impressive strike rate and finishing prowess, the All-India Senior Selection Committee on Monday picked the veteran cricketer in India's 15-member squad for the upcoming Men's T20 World Cup.

After the team announcement, Karthik expressed his happiness on Twitter and wrote, "Dreams do come true".

The 37-year-old has also been added to the squad announced to play the home series against Australia and South Africa. He had earlier mentioned that the motivation to play for India remains as strong as ever.

"The bigger vision was to play for the country. I know there is a World Cup around the corner. I want to be part of that World Cup desperately and help India cross the line," Karthik had said.

"It's been a long time since India won a multi-nation tournament. I want to be that person who is helping India do that. For that, you need to prepare differently, you need to be aware of so many things and try to be that player where people stand up and notice you and say, 'hey this guy is doing something special and I wanted to be that guy," he added.


--IANS
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Mumbai, Sep 12 (IANS) India on Monday announced their 15-member squad for the upcoming ICC Men's T20 World Cup 2022, with fit-again Jasprit Bumrah and Harshal Patel, making their comeback.

India's squad for the World Cup in Australia is largely along expected lines and have only few changes from the fifteen, who took part in the recently concluded Asia Cup 2022.

Both Bumrah and Harshal had missed the multi-nation tournament in the UAE due to respective injuries and their return for the marquee event will bolster the team's fast bowling ranks. Arshdeep Singh and Bhuvneshwar Kumar are the other two pacers in the squad, along with the all-rounder Hardik Pandya.

However, the squad led by Rohit Sharma will miss the services of all-rounder Ravindra Jadeja, who sustained a right knee injury during the Asia Cup and recently underwent a surgery. Left-hander Axar Patel will step in as a like-for-like replacement for Jadeja. Apart from Axar, R Ashwin and Yuzvendra Chahal and Axar Patel are the other two specialist spinners.

From the Asia Cup squad, the likes of Ravi Bishnoi and Avesh Khan have made way for Bumrah and Harshal while Deepak Hooda holds on to his spot.

Avesh, conceded at an economy of 12 runs per over in the two games that he played before being ruled out with an illness. On the other hand, wrist-spinner Ravi Bishnoi played a solitary game against Pakistan but was dropped for the next game despite doing well.

The batting unit is identical to the one that played the Asia Cup with captain Rohit Sharma, KL Rahul, Virat Kohli, Suryakumar Yadav, Rishabh Pant and Dinesh Karthik all included. Mohammed Shami, the pacer, has been named as a standby player, along with fellow pacer Deepak Chahar, Ravi Bishnoi and batter Shreyas Iyer.

Along with the T20 World Cup, the All-India Senior Selection Committee also picked India's squads for the upcoming home T20I series against Australia and South Africa at home.

World Cup standbys Mohammed Shami and Deepak Chahar have been picked in the squads that will play Australia and South Africa in the build-up to the marquee event. While Shami hasn't played T20Is since last year's World Cup, Chahar made his international T20I comeback against Afghanistan in India's last Asia Cup game.

The duo will come in for Arshdeep Singh, Bhuvneshwar Kumar and Hardik Pandya, who will report to the National Cricket Academy in Bengaluru for conditioning-related work at different times during the course of these two home series.

While Arshdeep will miss the series against Australia, Bhuvneshwar and Hardik will sit out the following assignment against South Africa.

"Hardik Pandya, Arshdeep Singh and Bhuvneshwar Kumar will be reporting to the NCA for conditioning-related work during the course of the home series against Australia and South Africa," the BCCI said in a statement.

Australia will play their three T20Is at Mohali (September 20), Nagpur (September 23) and Hyderabad (September 25) while South Africa will start their tour with T20Is at Thiruvananthapuram (September 28), Guwahati (October 2) and Indore (October 4).

India will also play the Proteas in a three-match ODI series just before the World Cup, the squad for which will be announced in due course.

India squad for ICC T20 World Cup: Rohit Sharma (Captain), KL Rahul (vice-captain), Virat Kohli, Suryakumar Yadav, Deepak Hooda, Rishabh Pant (wicket-keeper), Dinesh Karthik (wicket-keeper), Hardik Pandya, R Ashwin, Yuzvendra Chahal, Axar Patel, Jasprit Bumrah, Bhuvneshwar Kumar, Harshal Patel, Arshdeep Singh.

Standby players - Mohd Shami, Shreyas Iyer, Ravi Bishnoi, Deepak Chahar.

India Squad for Australia T20Is: Rohit Sharma (Captain), KL Rahul (vice-captain), Virat Kohli, Suryakumar Yadav, Deepak Hooda, Rishabh Pant (wicket-keeper), Dinesh Karthik (wicket-keeper), Hardik Pandya, R. Ashwin, Yuzvendra Chahal, Axar Patel, Bhuvneshwar Kumar, Mohd. Shami, Harshal Patel, Deepak Chahar, Jasprit Bumrah.

India squad for South Africa T20Is: Rohit Sharma (Captain), KL Rahul (vice-captain), Virat Kohli, Suryakumar Yadav, Deepak Hooda, Rishabh Pant (wicket-keeper), Dinesh Karthik (wicket-keeper), R Ashwin, Yuzvendra Chahal, Axar Patel, Arshdeep Singh, Mohd Shami, Harshal Patel, Deepak Chahar, Jasprit Bumrah.

--IANS
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Dubai, Sep 12 (IANS) A collective impressive performance by Bhanuka Rajapaksa, Wanindu Hasaranga and Pramod Madushan led Sri Lanka to Asia Cup 2022 title with a clinical 23-win over Pakistan in the final at the Dubai International Cricket Stadium, here on Sunday.

This is Sri Lanka's sixth Asia Cup title -- 1986, 1997, 2004, 2008, 2014 & 2022. After losing their opening game against Afghanistan, Sri Lanka beat Bangladesh, Afghanistan, India, Pakistan and then again Pakistan to clinch the 2022 Asia Cup.

An impressive fighting fifty by Bhanuka Rajapaksa (71 not out off 45) and an attacking knock by Wanindu Hasaranga (36 off 21) propelled Sri Lanka to a fighting total of 170/6 in 20 overs. Apart from Rajapaksa and Hasaranga, Dhananjaya de Silva (28 off 21) and Chamika Karunaratne (14 not out off 14) also played vital knocks for Sri Lanka, during their stay at the crease.

Chasing a challenging total, Pakistan were helped by some wayward bowling of Dilshan Madushanka, who gave 12 runs in the first over rife with wides and uncontrolled swing. However, Pakistan couldn't take advantage of that momentum as Sri Lanka found a hero in Pramod Madushan, who dismissed Babar Azam and Fakhar Zaman off consecutive deliveries and helped his team get on top.

Babar, who now does not have a fifty in six T20I games on the trot, first flicked one straight to short fine before Zaman chopped the ball onto his wicket. At 22/2 after 3.3 overs, Pakistan were in a spot of bother, but the in-form Mohammad Rizwan and Iftikhar Ahmed batted cautiously to lead the recovery for their team.

Rizwan was picking crucial boundaries at regular intervals to keep the scoreboard ticking. On the other hand, Iftikhar, who got a reprieve in between, was also giving the much-needed support as Pakistan were 68/2 after 10 overs.

Though Pakistan were keeping wickets in hand, the required rate was rising with every passing over. Iftikhar hit Hasaranga for a much-needed six and boundary to give impetus to the run-chase. He tried to do the same against Madushan but the ball only got the height not the distance, with the fielder at deep backward square got under it and held it safely, leaving Pakistan at 93-3 after 13.2 overs.

From there on, Pakistan needed to put the foot down on the accelerator but Sri Lanka bowled and fielded with excellence. They dried up the runs, increasing the pressure while upping the required run rate.

All-rounder Mohammad Nawaz couldn't deliver the big hits, falling for 6 against Karunaratne. It was now up to Rizwan, who was the set batter to guide Pakistan home, as they needed 69 off 28 deliveries.

After bringing up his half-century, Rizwan was outfoxed by Hasaranga as Sri Lanka etched closer to victory with the required run rate almost touching the 16-run mark. Hasaranga then dismissed Asif Ali for a first-ball duck and followed it up with Khushdil Shah for 2.

Eventually, Karunaratne got the final scalp of Haris Rauf (13) as Pakistan were bowled out for 147 in 20 overs, losing by 23 runs. Pramod Madushan (4/34) and Wanindu Hasaranga (3/27) were the highest-wicket takers for Sri Lanka while Chamika Karunaratne (2/33) and Maheesh Theekshana (1/25) also chipped in with a crucial wicket.

Earlier, put into bat first, Sri Lanka were off to a terrible start, losing three wickets inside the power play against the quality pace bowling. In the very first over, pacer Naseem Shah clean bowled Mendis, who was late to bring his bat down on a quality length ball. Pathum Nissanka and Dhananjaya de Silva then hit a few boundaries to show some fight back.

However, Pakistan skipper Babar Azam brought Haris Rauf into the attack and he put Sri Lanka back in trouble by taking the wickets of Nissanka and Danushka Gunathilaka.

On a quick delivery at 146 kph, Nissanka played a lofted shot but the ball went only to mid-off, where Babar Azam took a good catch running back. The pacer then dismantled the stumps of Gunathilaka, to leave Sri Lanka in deep trouble at 36/3 after 5.1 overs.

Among all Sri Lankan batters, Dhananjaya de Silva looked most comfortable and it seemed he would bail his team out of trouble. But, Iftikhar Ahmed got rid of De Silva with a brilliant reflex catch off his own bowling in the ninth over.

And in the next over, Shadab Khan breached the defence of Sri Lanka spinner Dasun Shanaka, who went for a wild slog but couldn't connect. With 58/5 in 8.5 overs, Sri Lanka were in danger of getting bowled but Rajapaksa and Hasaranga showed fighting spirit and did counter-attack.

Both Rajapaksa and Hasaranga looked in control against spinners and hit three boundaries off Shadab Khan. Hasaranga then slammed one boundary and a huge six over backward point to give impetus to the Sri Lankan innings.

From who else but Hasaranga -- 36 off 21. He was aggressive against Shadab, Hasnain and now Rauf again, hitting the pacer for two fours before he edged one to the keeper. What this wicket has done though is brought the match alive. Up until the ninth over, it was all Pakistan.

Hasaranga continued his aggressive approach and welcomed Haris Rauf with two boundaries before the pacer dismissed the batter to break a crucial 58-run stand for the sixth wicket, which brought the match alive. After the wicket of Hasaranga, Rajapaksa had the responsibility of batting till the last over and he did that with perfection. He hit boundaries and sixes to complete his half-century in 35 balls.

The left-hander also got able support from Chamika Karunaratne, which was required for a strong finish for Sri Lanka. Both Rajapaksa and Karunaratne remained not out, added 54 runs off only 31 balls and took Sri Lanka to 170/6 in 20 overs.

For Pakistan, Haris Rauf (3/29) was the pick of the bowlers with three wickets to his name while Iftikhar Ahmed (1/21), Shadab Khan (1/28) and Naseem Shah (1/40) were the other wicket takers.

Brief scores: Sri Lanka 170/6 in 20 overs (Bhanuka Rajapaksa 71 not out, Wanindu Hasaranga 36; Haris Rauf 3/29) beat Pakistan 147 all out in 20 overs (Mohammad Rizwan 55, Iftikhar Ahmed 32; Pramod Madushan 4/34, Wanindu Hasaranga 3/27) by 23 overs

--IANS

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Dubai, Sep 11 (IANS) Sri Lanka produced a clinical all-round performance to beat Pakistan by 23 runs in the final to win the Asia Cup 2022 title at the Dubai International Cricket Stadium, here on Sunday.

This is Sri Lanka's sixth Asia Cup title. After losing their opening game against Afghanistan, they beat Bangladesh, Afghanistan, India, Pakistan and then again Pakistan to clinch the 2022 Asia Cup.

An impressive fighting fifty by Bhanuka Rajapaksa (71 not out off 45) and an attacking knock by Wanindu Hasaranga (36 off 21) propelled Sri Lanka to 170/6 in 20 overs. Apart from Rajapaksa and Hasaranga, Dhananjaya de Silva (28 off 21) and Chamika Karunaratne (14 not out off 14) also played vital knocks for Sri Lanka, during their stay at the crease.

For Pakistan, Haris Rauf (3/29) was the pick of the bowlers with three wickets to his name while Iftikhar Ahmed (1/21), Shadab Khan (1/28) and Naseem Shah (1/40) were the other wicket-takers.

Chasing a challenging total, Mohammad Rizwan hit a decent half-century (55 off 49) and along with Iftikhar Ahmed (32 off 31) to keep Pakistan alive in the game before getting out. However, there weren't many contributions from other batters as Pakistan were bowled out for 147 in 20 overs, losing by 23 runs.

Pramod Madushan (4/34) and Wanindu Hasaranga (3/27) were the highest-wicket takers for Sri Lanka while Chamika Karunaratne (2/33) and Maheesh Theekshana (1/25) also chipped in with a crucial wicket.

Brief scores: Sri Lanka 170/6 in 20 overs (Bhanuka Rajapaksa 71 not out, Wanindu Hasaranga 36; Haris Rauf 3/29) beat Pakistan (Mohammad Rizwan 55, Iftikhar Ahmed 32; Pramod Madushan 4/34, Wanindu Hasaranga 3/27) by 23 overs

--IANS

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Doha, Sep 11 (IANS) The All India Football Federation (AIFF) will sign a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) with the Qatar Football Association (QFA) on "strategic alliance for mutual benefit" , it was announced after a meeting between the top officials of the two football governing bodies, here on Sunday.

Newly-elected AIFF president Kalyan Chaubey and Secretary General Shaji Prabhakaran on Sunday met Qatar Football Association chief Sheikh Hamad Bin Khalifa Bin Ahmed Al-Thani and General Secretary Mansoor Al-Ansari here.

"I would like to express my sincere thanks and gratitude to the QFA President for his valuable time to discuss collaboration possibilities between India and Qatar. I am sure this would be beneficial to both countries in the long run," Chaubey said after the meeting.

Earlier, the AIFF president and Secretary General on Friday met with FIFA President Gianni Infantino to discuss the way forward for Indian football.

--IANS

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New Delhi, Sep 11 (IANS) Schools from Nagaland, Manipur, Chandigarh and Jharkhand entered the semifinals of the 61st Subroto Cup Boys U-14 tournament, after registering their contrasting victories here on Sunday.

It began at Subroto Park Football Ground (SPFG) early in the morning with Greenwood School, Dimapur, Nagaland, overwhelming Mingmang Nalbari High School, Assam, 7-0. Yilasielie scored a hat-trick for the winners getting on board in the seventh, 22nd and 35th minute of the game. The other goals were scored by Limathung (12), Yiselie (19), Kevespa (37) and Vibito (50).

Heirok Higher Secondary School, Imphal, Manipur, then swept NNMHSS, Chelembra, Kerala, 6-0 to win the second quarters on the same ground. L Bikramjit (06, 26) and J. Likson (28, 33) got a brace of goals while A. Seitam (10) and A. Johnson (50) got the other two.

Action then moved to the Ambedkar Stadium where Government Model High School, Chandigarh, beat Government Chawngfianga Middle School 1-0. Tines scored the winner for the Chandigarh team.
In the fourth and final quarter-final Barway High School, Chainpur in Gumla, Jharkhand, also won 1-0 against MIHMYNTDU RC EVE SEC School, Meghalaya. Samir Soren scored the winning goal in the ninth minute of the match.

The semis are lined up for September 13, 2022. In the first at SPFG, Greenwood, Nagaland will take on Heirok, Manipur. In the second at the Ambedkar, Government Model, Chandigarh will clash against Barway, Jharkhand.


--IANS
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Monza (Italy), Sep 11 (IANS) Indian driver Jehan Daruvala raced to his fourth Formula 2 win in the championship's main Feature race at Monza race track on Sunday.

The 23-year-old started sixth on the grid but used a mix of strategy, race craft and tyre management to capitalise on a safety car and red flag-interrupted race and clinch a comfortable win.

The win was Daruvala's first this season. It comes after the Red Bull-backed racer went from fifth to third in Saturday's Sprint race, making it two podiums from two races this weekend and eight this year.

It was also his sixth top-three finish at Monza and second win at the track after the Indian won their last year.

"What a weekend. It's been a long time coming. We've had the win taken away from us for one reason or another on more than one occasion this year. But we've kept our heads down, kept believing, kept pushing and we've finally done it. And what a venue to do it at too," said Daruvala.

"Monza is up there with one of my all-time favourite tracks and standing on the top step of this incredible podium, out over the main straight with the Indian national anthem playing out, feels so, so special."

Daruvala made a good getaway, but starting on the dirty side of the grid got bogged down after the initial start. He kept sixth as the field went through the first chicane but lost a place to Juri Vips as he lifted in anticipation of a safety car after an opening-lap shunt involving Ralph Boschung and Theo Pourchaire.

The safety car wasn't deployed until later, however, and Daruvala was forced to defend from Jack Doohan on the run to the second Roggia chicane.

The pair went wheel-to-wheel in the braking zone with Logan Sargeant making it three-wide into the chicane. Doohan, with Daruvala on the inside and Sargeant on the outside, had nowhere to go and ended up colliding with Jehan.

The Indian racer, however, suffered only minor damage and carried on as the safety car was finally deployed. Racing resumed at the end of Lap 5 with Daruvala running seventh. But a crash for Calan Williams at the Ascari chicane brought the safety car back out on Lap 8.

Daruvala seized the opportunity to pit, with the perfectly timed stop eventually moving him up to third once his other rivals had pitted. That left him perfectly placed to battle for the win as the red flag was deployed to allow track workers to clear away Williams' stranded Trident and carry out repairs to the barriers.

The race resumed after a ten-minute stoppage. Daruvala went on to put on a masterclass of tyre management and race craft as he bided his time at first before piling the pressure on race leader Richard Verschoor and second-placed Marino Sato.

He passed Sato on Lap 18 of 30 and was hot on Verschoor's heels. But the Trident racer, struggling with tyre wear, dived into pits with just five laps to go, handing Daruvala a lead he would keep until the chequered flag.

The championship will return to its last and final round of the season on the November 18-20th weekend alongside the Formula One season-ending Abu Dhabi Grand Prix.

--IANS

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New York, Sep 11 (IANS) The organisers of the US Open 2022 surprised World No 1 Iga Swiatek by putting her favourite 'tiramisu' inside the winners' trophy, ending the Pole star's prolonged search for the dessert after winning the championships.

The 21-year-old clinched her first US Open title on Saturday night after defeating Ons Jabeur 6-2, 7-6(5) in the final. It was her seventh title of the season.

Close observers of Swiatek's trophy ceremony routine have noticed her habit of looking inside the trophy while she's on stage, feigning her disappointment each time she came up empty. It wasn't the same this time.

After speaking to reporters at her champion's press conference, Swiatek was told to check the trophy again, which had already played a comical role in her interview as she strained to look around it when speaking to reporters.

To Swiatek's delight, she finally found what she's been looking for: her favorite dessert, tiramisu.

"Oh, my God. Are you kidding me? Wow, who did that?.Thank you. I really appreciate it. Especially since I didn't have anything to eat," Swiatek said.

The USTA's Managing Director of Corporate Communications, Chris Widmaier explained, "We notice you always check your trophy. This time we wanted you to find something."

Iga has lifted a lot of trophies this season. Asked about comparing her two major wins this season at Roland Garros and US Open, the star player explained about the pressure and expectations.

"I don't know if it's more than the second win at Roland Garros because back then the pressure was really on and everybody was kind of expecting me to win," said Swiatek.

"Here I managed to lower my expectations, and also I feel like people were not expecting a lot from me on hard courts. So mentally I think Roland Garros was a little bit tougher. But tennis-wise and physically here for sure it was tougher," she added.


--IANS
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New Delhi, Sep 11 (IANS) The right-arm pace duo of Jasprit Bumrah and Harshal Patel, who missed the 2022 Asia Cup in the UAE due to injuries, are all set to make a return for India's campaign in the T20 World Cup campaign in October-November.

A report in Cricbuzz says both pacers have cleared their fitness test, which is central in their bid to make a comeback to the national side.

"Both Bumrah and Harshal did not feature in India's failed campaign in the Asia Cup because of different injuries -- Harshal was out with a side strain and Bumrah was out of action since July due to a back injury.

"It has been learnt that the two have regained their full fitness and bowled normally at the National Cricket Academy in Bengaluru recently. The two are believed to have finished their rehab," added the report.

Earlier, on August 8, when India's squad for Asia Cup 2022 was announced, the Board of Control for Cricket in India (BCCI) had said that Bumrah and Harshal were at the NCA.

"Jasprit Bumrah and Harshal Patel were not available for selection owing to injuries. They are currently undergoing rehab at the NCA in Bengaluru."

With Bumrah and Harshal all set to return to the Indian team, it means that a pacer and a spinner will have to make way to accommodate the fast-bowling duo.

Amongst the pacers, Avesh Khan might be out of the team while in spinners, leg-spinner Ravi Bishnoi could be out too. But the report said the final decision will be taken by the selection committee after consulting with the Indian team management.

"There is no immediate information if Mohammed Shami, whose exclusion from the Asia Cup team has been widely criticised by experts and commentators alike, will be considered at all.

The selectors, however, will see the progress of Bumrah and Harshal in the upcoming home T20I series against Australia and South Africa. Both will be made to play the matches against the visiting sides," added the report.

The report also added that the selection committee might be meeting on September 15 to select India's squad for the T20 World Cup in Australia, which is starting from October 16 and ending on November 13.

Apart from accommodating Bumrah and Harshal, there will be talking points on including Deepak Hooda as well as requiring two keeper-batters in Rishabh Pant and Dinesh Karthik.

"Having undergone a knee surgery recently, Jadeja is clearly out of reckoning which means Axar Patel could retain his place but there will be discussions on Deepak Hooda and the need for two wicketkeepers -- Rishabh Pant and Dinesh Karthik. It may not be a surprise if both are selected once again but, again, it will be a call taken after picking the brains of coach Rahul Dravid and skipper Rohit Sharma," concluded the report.


--IANS

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New York, Sep 11 (IANS) Polish tennis star and world No. 1 Iga Swiatek added a third Grand Slam singles trophy to her cupboard, defeating Tunisia's Ons Jabeur 6-2, 7-6 (5) to win the US Open crown for the first time on Sunday (IST).

Following Ashleigh Barty's surprise retirement in March this year, Swiatek was thrust into the role of No.1 at the age of 20 then, but she has since handled the pressure very well, proceeding to win 37 straight matches, including the French Open.

On Sunday at the Flushing Meadows, rather than being intimidated by the No.1 ranking, the Polish tennis ace -- now 21 years old -- seemed quite inspired.

"I needed to stay composed and focus on the goals," Swiatek was quoted as saying by WTA. "It's New York -- it's so loud, it's so crazy. It's really mind-blowing for me. I'm really proud I could handle it mentally."

Against Tunisia's Jabeur in the final, the match came down to a tight second-set tiebreak. Down 4-5, the Pole fired a forehand winner that hit the line. When Jabeur's forehand sailed long two points later, she had closed another deal.

Swiatek's success on hardcourts has come as a revelation this season as the player, considered a clay court specialist, has won three successive WTA 1000 events on the hardcourts in Doha, Indian Wells and Miami.

This US Open crown underlines her versatility. Swaitek is only the third woman player in the last 15 years to win multiple majors in a season on different surfaces, joining retired American legend Serena Williams and Justine Henin.

"At the beginning of the season I realised that maybe I can have some good results on WTA events," Swiatek said. "I also made it to the semifinal of Australian Open. But I wasn't sure if I was on the level yet to win actually a Grand Slam, especially on US Open where the surface is so fast.

"It's something that I wasn't expecting for sure. It's also like a confirmation for me that sky is the limit. I'm proud, also surprised a little bit, just happy that I was able to do that," she added.

Swiatek's awesome form has seen her win her last 10 finals in straight sets.

This is the champion's seventh title of the year. She's the first woman to do so since Serena in 2014 and the first No.1 seed to take the title since Williams eight years ago.

Swiatek also became the youngest woman to win her third major title since Russia's Maria Sharapova (20 years) in 2008. She is also only the ninth player of the Open Era to win her third major before turning 22.

The previous eight are -- Sharapova, Justine Henin, Serena Williams, Venus Williams, Martina Hingis, Monica Seles, Stefanie Graf and Chris Evert, according to WTA.

The two-time French Open champion also became the first player to win two majors in a single season since Germany's Angelique Kerber in 2016.

"I think in general (Swiatek just plays) better at the right moment, at the important points," Jabeur said. "She knows exactly what to do. I feel like she improved a lot from last year until the beginning of this year again."

"For sure, the weather changed because it wasn't that hot in the second part of the tournament. It was helpful. Sometimes we have many things actually to think about on court. Sometimes I wasn't able to do it every time, so I was making a lot of mistakes. Then I finally accepted that I'm going to make those mistakes. It's not going to be like on slow surface where I can build a rally, then be really calm and just finish," said Swaitek.

"It's going to be more risk and less control, for sure. So I accepted that. That was the thing that actually let me be more free," she added.

On Monday when the latest WTA Rankings are released, Swiatek and Jabeur will be ranked, No.1 and No.2 respectively. They have scored the most victories on the WTA Tour over the past two years and are also one-two in the Race to the WTA Finals leaderboard. Both players were appearing in their second major final of the season.

Upon receiving the USD2.6 million winner's check, Swiatek got a laugh from the crowd in Arthur Ashe Stadium when she said, "I'm really glad that is not in cash."

--IANS

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