ROME (Reuters/AFP) - Iga Swiatek beat Aryna Sabalenka 6-2 6-3 to win her third Italian Open title on Saturday as the Pole came out on top once again in a battle between the top two in the women's rankings following her Madrid Open triumph earlier this month.
The title was the 21st of Swiatek's career as the world number one extended her unbeaten run to 12 matches on clay to sound out a warning to her rivals ahead of this month's French Open where she is a three-time winner and the defending champion.
"After Madrid I knew it would not be easy. It can always go both ways," 22-year-old Swiatek said. "Thank you (Sabalenka) for sharing the court with me and pushing me to be better."
Swiatek broke Sabalenka twice in the first set where the Belarusian conceded 12 unforced errors in a lopsided start to the match. Sabalenka fought back, reaching five break points in a bid to lead 2-0 in the second, but Swiatek held her own serve.
Sabalenka failed to break again with Swiatek holding her nerve to save two break points on her next serve. The set progressed to 3-3 before the Pole broke twice, ensuring her victory in the tournament without dropping a set.
"I love this tournament... I'll come back stronger next year and hopefully win the trophy," Sabalenka said as she congratulated Swiatek. "I hope we make it to the final at Roland Garros and I will get you there."
In response, Swiatek said: "We will see about the Roland Garros final."
The French Open starts on May 26.
STAYING HUMBLE
In front of a packed centre court crowd, Swiatek became the first woman since Serena Williams in 2013 to win on the clay surface at Madrid and Rome in the same season.
She can join Williams in a European capital city hat-trick if she wins her fourth French Open title, and third in a row, with the clay-court Grand Slam starting in Paris on May 26.
"Obviously I am confident. I feel like I'm playing great tennis but that doesn't change the fact that I just want to stay humble," Swiatek told reporters.
"Grand Slams are different. There's a different pressure on the court and off the court. Of course I love to come to Paris and be there. It a great place for me to be and I really enjoy my time there.
"But these are a hard seven matches that you need to win so I don't take anything for granted."
The Pole took her winning record over Sabalenka to 8-3 in another hugely impressive display from what has been an almost flawless tournament from the four-time Grand Slam winner, who didn't drop a single set on her way to another championship victory.
Saturday's match was less dramatic than Madrid's three-set thriller as Sabalenka, who has won the two most recent Australian Opens, gave herself too much to do.
On Sunday, Alexander Zverev bids to win his second Rome title when he faces Nicolas Jarry in the men's final. Zverev is in his 11th Masters final, equalling Boris Becker's record for the most by a German since the series began in 1990.