Iga Swiatek through to 3rd round at U.S. Open

 

No. 2 seed Iga Swiatek survived a stern test from Suzan Lamens in the second round of the US Open, but eventually pulled through 6-1, 4-6, 6-4 in 2 hours and 6 minutes to extend her winning streak to seven matches.

After a one-sided opening set, Swiatek twice led by a break in the second, but was unable to put away a valiant Lamens as the Dutchwoman settled into the contest -- resulting in Swiatek's first dropped set since her fourth-round loss in Montreal to Clara Tauson. 

In the decider, she also had to hold off a late charge from 4-1 down by Lamens. However, it wasn't enough to prevent Swiatek from notching her 16th win in her past 17 matches, a stretch that includes the Wimbledon and Cincinnati titles this summer.

The Pole will next face No. 29 seed Anna Kalinskaya, who defeated Yulia Putintseva 6-1, 7-5 to reach the US Open third round for a second straight year. Swiatek and Kalinskaya have split two previous meetings, with Kalinskaya winning 6-4, 6-4 in the 2024 Dubai semifinals and Swiatek avenging that loss 6-3, 6-4 in the Cincinnati quarterfinals two weeks ago.

How did Lamens manage to push Swiatek?

The late-blooming Lamens has little experience at the very top of the game. This year has seen her play each of the Grand Slam main draws for the first time at the age of 26, and her matchup with Swiatek was just the third time she had faced a Top 10 opponent in her career. But there have been signs that she has the game to compete at this level. Last April, she notched her first Top 10 win over Jelena Ostapenko in Billie Jean King Cup Group III action. In October, she captured her first Hologic WTA Tour title in Osaka as a qualifier. In the past 12 months, she's risen from No. 121 to No. 66 in the PIF WTA Rankings.

Though over-matched in the first set, Lamens was able to bring her best weaponry to the court in the second: a heavy topspin forehand which she could direct to every corner for winners, a sneaky drop shot and a fine backhand lob. The latter was responsible for the best shot of the match -- and one with which she broke Swiatek back for 2-2 in the second set.

By now, Lamens had warmed to her task and become accustomed to Swiatek's weight of shot, drawing the six-time major champion into several excellent extended rallies. Down a break again at 4-3, Lamens lost one of the longest, a 22-stroke lungbuster -- but the pressure she had started to exert was evident as Swiatek coughed up two double faults to lose her break lead again. Two games later, Swiatek delivered another error-strewn service game to send the match into a decider.

How did Swiatek get back on track?

"The third set is a reset," Swiatek said in her on-court interview. "You gotta start from the beginning and play a little bit more precise."

That's exactly what she did. Having committed 12 unforced errors in the second set, she reduced that number to seven in the third. And she began to punish Lamens relentlessly for her vulnerability on serve. Four of Lamens' eight double faults came in the third set, including twice to go down break point. Swiatek converted both of those by unleashing on a second-serve return, and leapt out to a quick 4-1 lead.

Lamens battled to retrieve one of the breaks, but Swiatek maintained her focus this time -- and came up with a superb hot shot of her own, a laser backhand winner into the corner off a Lamens smash. She converted her third match point with her seventh ace of the day.

"I know that I kind of let her in after the first set, and she used her chances and she immediately knew what to do with that," Swiatek said. "So for sure, she deserves the games that she won. I wouldn't say surprised. But yeah, I think she got her level up a bit in terms of not making so many mistakes, as she did in the first set."

wtatennis.com

Iga definitely lost her concentration mid way through that match but got it back when it mattered. 

Kalinskya could be tricky in night conditions (and it'll be Iga's first night match too). 

23/23 - Iga Swiatek is the first player in the Open Era to reach the Third Round at all Women’s Singles Grand Slam events for the first six years in a single decade (23/23 in 2020s). Law.


23 - Iga Swiatek is the fourth player in the Open Era to reach the Third Round in 23+ consecutive Women’s Singles Grand Slam events after Martina Navratilova, Conchita Martinez and Arantxa Sanchez Vicario. Habit.