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[ad_1] PARIS: Iga Swiatek can become the first back-to-back women's champion at the French Open in 16 years if she can shake off a worrying injury. Elsewhere, rivals battle inconsistent form and bruised confidence ahead of the season's second Grand Slam tournament which gets underway in Paris on Sunday. AFP Sports looks at three talking points in the women's singles: World number one Iga Swiatek is already a three-time major winner after capturing the 2020 and 2022 French Opens as well as the 2022 US Open. Now the 21-year-old Pole attempts to become the first back-to-back women's champion at Roland Garros since Justine Henin won three on the bounce from 2005-2007. It is a challenge which has defied some of the greats. Maria Sharapova was champion in 2012 but then ended runner-up 12 months later. Serena Williams swept to the title in 2015 before falling short in the 2016 final. Since Henin's triple, Francesca Schiavone also joined the near-miss club

[ad_1] CANCúN, MEXICO: Poland's Iga Swiatek thrashed Jessica Pegula to win the WTA Finals on Monday, sealing her return to world number one. Second seed Swiatek dominated Pegula from start to finish to clinch a 6-1, 6-0 victory in a 59-minute masterclass. The 17th win of Swiatek's career ensures that the four-time major singles champion from Warsaw will finish the season as world number one for a second straight year. "The team that's been with me the whole season, we had many ups and downs," a jubilant Swiatek said after her win. "This is for sure an up. We will for sure have many more if we keep working like that," added Swiatek, who lost just 20 games across the tournament -- a new record. Pegula had few complaints about her defeat after an error-strewn display. "It just was one of those days where I felt like I was going for too much," Pegula said. "And she was just playing super solid." Swiatek, 22, had beaten ou

[ad_1] PARIS: Reigning French Open champion Iga Swiatek will attempt to become the first woman to successfully defend the title in Paris in 16 years on Saturday when she faces surprise finalist Karolina Muchova. World number one Swiatek is bidding for a third Roland Garros crown in four years and fourth Grand Slam title following her 2022 US Open victory. Justine Henin was the last woman to win back-to-back French Open titles when she captured her third in a row and fourth in total in 2007. Swiatek, 22, has yet to drop a set in this tournament but will be wary of her Czech opponent who knocked out second seed Aryna Sabalenka in the semi-finals after recovering from 2-5 and match point down in the final set. Swiatek's last-four win over Beatriz Haddad Maia of Brazil coupled with Sabalenka's agonising defeat ensured the Pole will remain at number one heading into the grass-court part of the season. She is the youngest woman since Monica Seles in the early 1990s to r