Iga Swiatek looking more confident on grass moves into Wimbledon 3rd round

Just like the sweet spot on a racket, where the ball makes most effective contact with the strings, so the scheduling can throw up a specific head-to-head meeting on a show court that makes for optimum viewing.

That was what the second round encounter between 20-year-old Iga Swiatek and the Russian veteran Vera Zvonareva on No.2 Court promised: a meeting, somewhere in the middle, of two players on opposing but stellar career trajectories on the Grand Slam stage.

Contrary to predictions that this could be a testy three-setter, this first meeting between the pair proved to be mesmerising to watch for the way in the which the young Pole – the No.7 seed, the 2020 Roland-Garros champion but a self-professed ingenue on grass (despite winning the 2018 Wimbledon girls’ singles title) – totally outplayed the former world No.2.

With a 6-1, 6-3 victory, clinically wrapped up in 62 minutes, the meeting point on their two career paths clearly bears a signpost indicating great things for Swiatek. Despite her early reservations, she and grass are getting along just fine.

“Every match gives me the opportunity to have more and more confidence, so I’m pretty happy with my performance today," she said. "Playing such an experienced player is never easy, so I didn’t know what to expect at the beginning because she has many years of playing on grass, and I only have two years basically. I’m just beginning, but I wanted to play really powerfully and I did that, so I am pretty happy.”

Deploying her awesome forehand with aggression, Swiatek sent Zvonereva scurrying all over the court from the off, claiming a break after only 10 points played. She may have been the junior by 16 years, but she showed astonishing maturity in constructing each point and executing a killer finish.

The Russian has not featured in the Top 10 since 2012, but she brings to the lawns here experience garnered from being a 2010 Wimbledon singles finalist (losing to a dominant Serena Williams) and a 2006 mixed doubles champion. On grass, she has also claimed a title in Birmingham, back in 2006 – when Swiatek was five years old.

All this knowhow was neutralised by the Pole, who was on a mission to wrong-foot and keep her opponent off balance. Playing free of expectation, with her serve firing well and a double break under her belt, Swiatek steamrolled through the first set in 26 minutes.

Comebacks have featured often in Zvonareva’s career. She has battled her way back inside the Top 100 after an injury-blighted career and also happy absences in which she married, gave birth to her daughter Evelina and gained a masters degree in international economic relations from the Diplomatic Academy of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs of the Russian Federation.

She came into Wimbledon having secured two impressive wins in Eastbourne qualifying, suffering disappointment in having to retire against Darya Kasatkina in the first main draw match. On the lawns here, she played solidly to beat the Czech Marie Bouzkova in straight sets, her first win at Wimbledon since 2014.

But in this first meeting between these two offspring of elite athletes, it was Swiatek, the daughter of an Olympic rower, who put clear water between herself and Zvonareva, whose mother was an Olympic bronze medallist in field hockey.

So Swiatek cruises into the third round of Wimbledon for the first time. To have played and beaten Zvonareva could be a good omen.

In recent Grand Slam appearances, Zvonareva has always fallen to the eventual champion. At Wimbledon in 2018, she battled through three rounds of Qualifying only to meet eventual champion Angelique Kerber. In her previous main draw appearance at a major, in Melbourne in 2015, she lost to Serena Williams.

wimbledon.com

Roger Federer survives into Wimbledon 2nd round courtesy of retirement

Roger Federer survived a scare on Tuesday at the start of his quest for a ninth title at The Championships, Wimbledon.

The Swiss superstar fought back against Adrian Mannarino, before the Frenchman retired at the start of the fifth set, unable to put any weight on his right leg following a slip behind the baseline.

Federer was level with Mannarino, who was celebrating his 33rd birthday, at 6-4, 6-7(3), 3-6, 6-2 after two hours and 44 minutes of play on Centre Court.

At 2-4 in the fourth set, with Federer serving at 0/15, Mannarino slipped when split-stepping behind the baseline and the Frenchman subsequently required on-court treatment for a right knee complaint. Mannarino attempted to play on, but at the start of the fifth set called time on his seventh ATP Head2Head meeting against Federer.

"It’s awful," said Federer, in an on-court interview. "It shows that one shot can change the outcome of a match, a season, a career. I wish him all the best and I hope he recovers quickly so we see him back on the courts. He could have won the match at the end. Obviously he was the better player, so I definitely got a bit lucky.

"You don’t get many walkovers throughout a career and you try also not to have it happen to yourself. It’s a reminder how quickly it goes. But of course, I’m obviously happy I can get another chance for another match here. I worked very hard and at the end I enjoyed myself out here today. It was great fun until the end, obviously."

Federer, who improved to a 102-13 match record at the All England Club, will next challenge France's Richard Gasquet.

Federer ran through the first set by winning 22 of 26 service points, completing the 39-minute opener with a backhand winner. But the unorthodox nature of Mannarino’s game meant that he never let the Swiss settle into his match rhythm.

Four straight forehand errors from Federer handed Mannarino a 6/1 lead in the second set tie-break, and soon the World No. 41 came within two points of a 3-0 lead in the third set. Federer, with just eight matches under his belt this year coming into The Championships, did well to respond, but in the sixth game the 39-year-old's serve was broken to love.

While Mannarino sealed a two-sets-to-one lead with a forehand volley winner, once Federer saved a break point in the opening game of the fourth set he turned into a different player. By hitting his spots on serve, Federer won 11 of the next 12 points for 3-0 advantage.

"I tried to cut down the length of points a little bit," said Federer. "I thought he found a nice groove from the baseline. He’s famous with that shovel backhand. He creates a lot of problems for so many players and he did the same again today on the grass against me. That’s why I tried to maybe cut down on the length of points a little bit.

"It worked well, and once I got the break, obviously, I was able to maybe loosen up a little bit up and then everything ended. At the end, it was a very up and down match overall I thought. We were both… trying to figure out who could enjoy the baseline a little bit more than the other. But I felt like I had to adjust my game more than he had to, and that was credit to him of course."

atptour.com

Well it wasn't pretty, but he gets to live another day. Hopefully he can wipe the slate clean and play much better in his next match.

He's not going to get very far though if he has to fight as much as he did today. Hopefully the next one will be a straight set affair.

Iga Swiatek gets 2nd grass win moves to 2nd round of Wimbledon

A first-round game of a Grand Slam is often viewed as a “settler”, a match that has to be won in any fashion in order to prime a player for a deep run in a tournament.

For No.7 seed Iga Swiatek, overcoming the challenge posed by the ever tricky Su-Wei Hsieh on the Wimbledon grass will be a ginormous dose of confidence to take her into the second round of The Championships.

Swiatek’s 6-4, 6-4 victory over the queen of the disguised shot from Chinese Taipei – her first win in the main draw at Wimbledon – was not just a delight to watch, but a signal of intent, as she deployed her enthralling power game to counter all that the wily Hsieh threw at her.


“Hsieh has great touch, so my main goal was not to let her use that,” Swiatek said, no doubt aware that her opponent’s best run at Wimbledon three years ago included the defeat of top seed Simona Halep.


Coming into the match, the 20-year-old Pole, who made her top 10 debut last month, was philosophical about her need to gain experience on the grass, describing the prospect of playing the two-time Wimbledon doubles champion as “hard”.


“If my game’s going to be there and if I'm going to be in a good rhythm, if I'm going to approach the ball and not be late to many of the shots, I think I can do it. We’ll see. It’s going to be tricky,” she said.


That was quite a lot of ifs to overcome, which with a businesslike pace she set out to do by sticking to her aggressive, all-court game, crouching to retrieve every low ball, racing to pick up every pesky drop shot.

With a break of serve in the opening game, she managed to counter Hsieh's impressive armoury to capitalise on that early advantage and take the first set 6-4.

Despite her inexperience on grass – this was only the ninth professional level match on the surface in her career, including Qualifying - Swiatek looked perfectly at home. Having lost in her first senior appearance in 2019, she has clearly studied how other clay court specialists such as Halep have learnt to master the grass game.

“I am so inexperienced on grass, I am always asking the coaches, is this grass different?” she said, describing the unsettling change in conditions from sunny Eastbourne to chilly Wimbledon. She makes it sound like she’s taking baby steps, but so far she seems to have impressively preserved the momentum that took her to a maiden Grand Slam victory at Roland-Garros in 2020.


There is no doubting her desire to thrive in this tournament. The audacity of Hsieh earning a break-back point in the fourth game of the first set seemed to inspire her to become more dictatorial with her serve; she only lost a further two points on serve in the opener.

In the second set, the Pole got the early break again, only to concede her own serve. Back on level terms, the intriguing match-up of styles brought stunning responses from both players.

The sun came out over the All England Club as if to highlight exchanges of wonderful tennis. The pivotal moment came when Swiatek broke again in the fifth game of the second set, and consolidated the lead with Hsieh slamming an overhead into the net.


From then on, it was not so much “if” as "when" Swiatek would celebrate her passage through to the next round.

“It’s amazing to win, and very emotional as the last match I played on this court was winning the Juniors in 2018, and I had so many good memories,” she said.

wimbledon.com

What a great win for Iga. She may not have a lot of experience on grass, but she's definitely a fast learner. 

Hsieh is a tricky tricky player who is capable of taking out anyone especially early on, so the fact that Iga handled it the way she did in only her 2nd main draw Wimbledon appearance is a fantastic step forward. 

I don't even remember who she's playing next, but I'm already looking forward to it. Jazda Iga!

Iga Swiatek gets first WTA main draw win on grass in Eastbourne thriller

Iga Swiatek's Twitter

Last year's Roland Garros champion Iga Swiatek had a much more difficult time as she needed two hours and 42 minutes to quell the challenge by British hope Heather Watson, 6-3, 6-7(4), 7-5 on Centre Court.


No.4 seed Swiatek claimed her first-ever WTA main-draw win on grass with her victory over 65th-ranked Watson, as the Pole had only played two matches at this level on the surface in 2019, and lost them both.

Swiatek very nearly went 0-for-3 on the surface as she was down a double-break in the final set before storming back to win six of the last seven games and keep her hopes for an Eastbourne title alive.

"I think I was just fighting, and even though grass is not the surface I understand completely, I kept believing that I can do it anyway," Swiatek said, in her post-match press conference. "I have, you know, some weapons that I can use. When I became more loosened up in the third set, it helped me a lot. I think it's the key when you're playing on grass."

World No.9 Swiatek needed just a single break to take the first set, then slid ahead by a break in the second set as well at 4-2. But untimely errors from Swiatek ceded the break right back to Watson, and the British hope took full advantage as she ramped up her aggression to send the second set into a tiebreak.

In the breaker, Watson leapt out to a 3-0 lead and eased home from there, leveling the match. Watson kept up the momentum in the decider, slamming an incredible backhand return winner to earn her second break of the set and grasp a commanding 4-1 lead.

Watson had two game points for a 5-1 lead, but Swiatek regrouped, breaking for 4-2 with a forehand crosscourt winner, and the tables suddenly turned.

A dropshot winner on break point pulled Swiatek back level at 4-4, and two games later, the Polish player saved a break point with a forehand winner, eventually edging ahead 6-5. There, Swiatek got the decisive break as she completed her comeback victory.

"The whole match was pretty crazy," Swiatek said. "You could see that I have a love/hate relationship with grass. I'm pretty happy that I came back in the third set."

wtatennis.com

Well that's one way to win your first ever tour level match on grass.  Wow. 4-1 down in the third, she came up with some phenomenal shots. 

Iga may not have much experience with the green stuff, but based on this match something tells me it won't take her long to get a handle on it. 

This match was an absolute joy, 

I can honestly say I officially love watching Iga play on grass. Bravo.

Roger Federer reflects on early loss in Halle

Roger Federer failed to reach the quarter-finals at the NOVENTI OPEN for the first time in 18 appearances with his three-set loss against Felix Auger-Aliassime on Wednesday. Afterwards, the Swiss legend, who is now 5-3 on the season, admitted that coming back from the two right knee surgeries he had last year has not been easy.

“It’s a huge challenge for me. Everybody who has been in multiple surgeries or a tough surgery knows what I’m talking about,” Federer said. “Things don’t come simple, they don’t come easy. You second-guess yourself rather quickly unfortunately, and that’s sometimes the biggest worry: the worry of pain or the worry of how you’re going to feel the next day or when you wake up, the first steps, how did they feel? All this stuff, it takes a little bit of a toll on you sometimes.”

Federer battled through a tight first set against the 20-year-old, and looked good in taking the lead. But the 10-time Halle champion made a lot of errors and showed uncharacteristic frustration in the third set. The former World No. 1 faced 15 break points in the match.

“Of course I know Felix is a great player and he was better today. I would have maybe lost anyhow. But it’s a tough court to play on, so it makes me really happy looking back at how grateful I can be about how well it’s gone here in Halle and how difficult it is to win here,” Federer said. “This type of third set I cannot accept. The first two are totally okay, no problem there. But I guess it happens and it’s all good from my side.”

The 103-time tour-level titlist said he has “felt overall very good” over the past year as he has rehabbed and attempted to work his way towards his best tennis. This was his fourth tournament since the 2020 Australian Open.

“I didn’t mind the whole rehab process and all that stuff. It has been one that I have also enjoyed, something different. I was able to stay home with the family and that was nice from that standpoint,” Federer said. “But then of course once you get back on the court you want it so badly like you used to, and then you get disappointed with a performance or shots or a feeling you have or negativity that creeps in. You just are [like], ‘That’s too bad. Why is that happening?’ And you’re just trying to figure that out.

“But I think that’s why I’ve always explained throughout this process, I need to take every match as information, I need to figure it out. I need to understand why it’s going on.”

Federer was especially pleased with how he played in the first set, but he felt his level quickly slip away in the decider.

“I just think the consistency point for point has not been easy for me in the comeback, and I knew that’s what it is going to take,” Federer said. “The good thing coming out of a match like this against a great player is I know what I need to think about moving forward. Clearly I need to do a bit better, but overall I thought also Felix played a great match. He stayed mentally very solid. He showed that he wanted to win and he was better at the end."

The World No. 8 was most disappointed with his attitude, which he felt contributed to the third set going the way it did. But after absorbing what happened in the match, the 39-year-old is confident that he can now move forward, work on his game and turn the page to Wimbledon.

“I realised it was not going to be my day. There was nothing I can do. I started to get really negative and this is not normally how I am by any means,” Federer said. “I think this is not something I’m happy about and proud about, but at the same time, if I look at my 1,500 matches I’ve played, these things happen. The good thing is that I know it will not happen the next time around and the next time and the next time."

atptour.com

Roger Federer makes winning return on grass at Noventi Open in Halle

Roger Federer made a good start to his grass-court season on Monday with a 7-6(4), 7-5 win against Ilya Ivashka in the first round of the NOVENTI OPEN.

“[I] had a tough moment early on in the first set when he had break points, so that was crucial to get out of those,” Federer said in his on-court interview. “And then I played a really good tie-break, which I was happy about. I think as the match went on I started to create more opportunities and started to also calm my nerves a bit.

“Overall I think I served very well. Clearly, I can always be a little bit better, but I’m very happy and excited that I was able to get through the first one.”

The Swiss superstar has made clear that he has been building up for this grass-court season. And in his first match on the surface since 2019, Federer did not lose serve and advanced after one hour and 35 minutes, setting a second-round clash against Felix Auger-Aliassime or Hubert Hurkacz.

"I missed it. I hadn’t played a tournament [on grass] in two years on this surface," Federer said. "I’ve done the hard courts, I’ve done the clay and now [I am] on the grass. It’s been great being back here in Halle. I love playing here."

This is the 39-year-old’s fourth tournament of the season following a quarter-final showing in Doha, a second-round loss in Geneva and a run to the fourth round at Roland Garros, where he withdrew before playing Matteo Berrettini.

There was a significant gulf between Federer and Ivashka’s experience on this surface. The Belarusian had previously played four tour-level matches on grass, while the former World No. 1 has won 19 grass-court titles, including 10 in Halle. With his victory, Federer is now 69-7 at this tournament.

Although Ivashka had not had a lot of grass-court experience, he walked on court Monday with confidence. Not only did he qualify for this tournament, but he pushed Rafael Nadal to three sets in Barcelona and made the semi-finals in Munich.

The World No. 90 dominated on serve for a large majority of the match and did not face a break point until his 11th service game. Ivashka saved a match point at 4-5 in the second set when he barely squeezed a backhand volley into the net. But Federer did not slip a 0/40 advantage in his next return game. On the Swiss’ fourth match point, Ivashka missed a low forehand approach shot into the net for the only break of the match.

Federer has now won 10 of his past 11 matches at this ATP 500. The 103-time tour-level titlist was not at his flying best, but he was never under threat, winning 77 per cent of his first-serve points and saving the two break points he faced.

"I’m excited to be back on the green grass," Federer said. "And getting a win is obviously always very nice.

Did You Know?
Federer has advanced to at least the quarter-finals in each of his 17 previous appearances in Halle. The last time he failed to make the semi-finals at this event was in 2001, when he was 19.

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Roger Federer, Deniil Medvedev lead strong field in Halle at Noventi Open

 

Kei Nishikori Twitter

Roger Federer and Daniil Medvedev will lead the field at this year's Noventi Open, a grass-court ATP 500 event to be held from 14-20 June. Four Top 10 players in the FedEx ATP Rankings have entered.

Federer is a 10-time titlist at the event, where he has tallied a 68-7 record and reached at least the semi-finals in his past 15 appearances. Medvedev, the World No. 2, will make his tournament debut.

Alexander Zverev will try to triumph on home soil as he makes his sixth appearance at the tournament. The 24-year-old made back-to-back championship matches in Halle in 2016 and 2017, losing against Florian Mayer and Federer, respectively.

Andrey Rublev is the fourth Top 10 player in the field, and he will compete in the main draw for the second time after reaching the 2017 quarter-finals. Other players to watch include Canadian star Felix Auger-Aliassime, Miami champion Hubert Hurkacz, Spaniard Roberto Bautista Agut and former World No. 4 Kei Nishikori.

A German has won four of the past 11 editions of the event. In addition to Zverev, home favourites Dominik Koepfer and Jan-Lennard Struff have also entered.

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Iga Swiatek going for doubles success at Roland Garros after losing in singles

A couple of the most recent Roland Garros singles stars have made it into the finale of this fortnight's women's doubles event, where they will factor into an eye-catching clash for the championship.


Barbora Krejcikova, who made it into this year's Roland Garros singles final on Thursday, will now contest both finals this weekend. Krejcikova paired with her long-time partner Katerina Siniakova to dispatch Magda Linette and Bernarda Pera, 6-1, 6-2, in Friday's semifinals.

Krejcikova now has the chance to become the first player to sweep the singles and women's doubles titles at Roland Garros since Mary Pierce pulled off the feat in 2000. Serena Williams is the most recent player to sweep those two events at any Grand Slam tournament, at 2016 Wimbledon.

In the final, the Czech duo will face Bethanie Mattek-Sands and Iga Swiatek, who ousted Irina-Camelia Begu and Nadia Podoroska, 6-3, 6-4. Swiatek won the Roland Garros singles title last year and was a singles quarterfinalist this year in her title defense.

No.2 seeds Krejcikova and Siniakova have now reached both Grand Slam women's doubles finals this season. They finished as runners-up to Elise Mertens and Aryna Sabalenka at this year's Australian Open.

Krejcikova and Siniakova, both former WTA Doubles World No.1s, are seeking their second Roland Garros women's doubles title, having won the event for their first Grand Slam title in 2018. They followed up with the title at 2018 Wimbledon one month later.

No.14 seeds Mattek-Sands and Swiatek, playing just their third event together, have already built up a solid 9-2 win-loss record during their nascent partnership.

Swiatek now has a chance to follow up her 2020 Roland Garros singles title with her first Grand Slam women's doubles title the very next year. In fact, a victory on Sunday would be Swiatek's first doubles title on the tour.

The 20-year-old Pole has a partner whose history in major finals is sterling -- Mattek-Sands is an undefeated 5-0 in Grand Slam women's doubles finals, including French Open titles alongside Lucie Safarova in 2015 and 2017.

A Mattek-Sands volley winner on break point at 4-3 gave her tandem a pivotal lead in the opening set, and despite dazzling defense and aggressive returning by Begu and Podoroska in the next game, Swiatek was able to serve out the set and put her team in the driver’s seat.

Begu of Romania and Podoroska of Argentina were able to fend off multiple break points at 1-1 and 2-2, as the unseeded pair stuck with Mattek-Sands and Swiatek for the opening half of the second set.

However, at 3-3, they were less successful, as Podoroska fell behind 0-40 on her service, then watched a Swiatek forehand passing shot zip past her pairing for the break.

That break proved to be decisive, as Mattek-Sands and Swiatek would charge to victory. At 5-4, Swiatek did have to face a break point on her service, but Begu fired her return long to cede that opportunity, and the American-Polish pairing claimed the win two points later, after an hour and 34 minutes of play.

    wtatennis.com

If Krejicikova wins the singles title on Saturday, there will be a battle of brand new Roland Garros champion vs last year's champion in the women's doubles final on Sunday. 

What a story that would make!. Glad Iga's injury wasn't anything serious, and that she's still around in Paris. 

Winning a first doubles title would be a fantastic way to cap off another year on the clay for Iga.

How fantastic would it be if Bethanie and Iga pull it off?. Good luck on Sunday ladies!! ♥

Roland Garros Defending Champion Iga Swiatek falls short in the quarterfinals

Iga Swiatek's Twitter

Iga Swiatek's title defense at Roland Garros ended on Wednesday with a 6-4, 6-4 loss to No.18 Maria Sakkari in the quarterfinals. The loss snapped Swiatek's stunning streak of 22 consecutive sets won at the French Open.

"Well, obviously I didn't play my best tennis, that's for sure," Swiatek told reporters after the loss. "But Maria did a good job with playing at my forehand, which wasn't working pretty well today. It's good for her that she saw that. She picked a good tactic, for sure.

"All credit to her because she also made me actually feel bad. That's what players do to each other. She did that better today."

Swiatek also said the past few weeks finally hit her Tuesday. She said she struggled to get even a few hours of sleep the night before her quarterfinal match.

"This year I had more pressure on me, but also I did good because I think quarterfinal is a good job," Swiatek said. "I'm showing consistency. Obviously I know I can play better than today. Everybody has seen that. I know I can play heavier balls and everything. But days like that happen. I didn't have day like that last year. Basically that's why I won.

"But the most important thing right now is to take lessons of it, not let it happen next time."

While Wimbledon is less than three weeks away, Swiatek said her next big goal is to peak for the Tokyo Olympics, which will be played on hardcourts at the end of July.

"[The Olympics] is my next goal because I don't know how I'm going to play on grass.

"I don't know if I even remember how to play on grass, so we're going to see how that's going to go. I'm not putting, like, any expectations or any pressure on me because really I just want to learn how to play on it. Probably I'm going to say that for few more years."

Swiatek was a junior champion at Wimbledon in 2018, but she'll be playing the main draw for just the second time in her career. Despite her junior success, Swiatek is keeping her expectations low for the next few weeks.

"When I was playing that year [I won juniors], I was so angry that I didn't win junior French Open that I kind of took it [out] on Wimbledon," Swiatek said. "I think physically I was better than my opponents, than any junior player there. My motivation to win any Grand Slam, my anger at French Open, it really gave me a lot. Also the conditions were special this year because it was really hot. The ball was bouncing basically like on clay.

"Still in 2019 I didn't have a good run on any of the tournaments on grass. Basically that's why I just feel like I'm not consistent there. I'm not even consistent in, like, 10% really. I think it's going to do me good to not have any expectations and just play."

Regardless of the quick turnaround between Roland Garros and the grass season, Swiatek's first priority is to check out of tennis for as long as she needs to refresh both the mind and body. Swiatek took a medical timeout to tape her upper right leg early in the second set against Sakkari, but assured reporters that it wasn't as serious as she thought it might be on court.

Swiatek is still in the doubles tournament with Bethanie Mattek-Sands. The duo will face Irina-Camelia Begu and Nadia Podoroska for a spot in the final. Swiatek dismissed any concerns that her decision to play both singles and doubles impacted her tournament. Her 2020 title run was paired with a run to the doubles semifinals as well.

"I can change so many things that really it's hard to say what was the problem," Swiatek said. "I don't think it was doubles. As I said from the beginning, it actually helped me."

As Swiatek hits the midpoint of her first full season on the pro tour - an astounding fact given she has already pocketed titles at the Grand Slam, WTA 1000 and WTA 500 levels - it is impossible to see the 20-year-old's 2021 season as anything less than a success so far.

Coming off her 2020 breakthrough, Swiatek has won 23 of 29 matches this year and is one of only four players with multiple titles. She has lost before the Round of 16 at any tournament just once. Playing under newfound pressure at the Slams, she made the second week in Melbourne and Paris.

"I had a pretty intense season," Swiatek said. "I played many of the tournaments, more than in my previous seasons. I'm happy with the results that I have, but also I'm constantly at work.

"For sure we're going to try to chill out a little bit, cool down, also find some perspective. Basically when I close my eyes, I only see tennis court and balls, so it's pretty tiring. For sure that fresh start after grass is going to give me a lot."
    

    
wtatennis.com

Today was not Iga's day I did say in my last post I was a bit worried that playing singles and doubles on back to back days might prove to be a bit much. And I think in the end it was a little. 

As she herself mentioned she wasn't able to get proper sleep. And although she played doubles last year and said it helped her I think the added pressure of doing that and being the defending champion finally got to be too much (for the body especially). 

I hope her thigh injury isn't to serious. I guess we'll know for sure if she decides to pull out of the doubles.

That's not to take away from her achievements because reaching the quarters the way she did (without losing a set) was still a fantastic effort, so she can only take away positives from it all really. 

So far she's having a great season having already won 2 titles. The 3rd title being a Grand Slam last year. Not a lot of 20 year-olds can say that. 

There's no doubt in my mind this young woman will be a contender for many big titles in the years to come.

Good luck in the doubles Iga!. Congratulations on another outstanding showing at Roland Garros.  It may not have been the result you wanted but, keep your head high.  See you on the grass. 

Selfishly I was hoping Iga would finally be the first woman to successfully defend her Grand Slam title (which I think hasn't happened since Justine Henin in 2007?),  or Serena don't remember what year. 

But alas the WTA continues to be a revolving door of brand new Grand Slam champions (for the 6th year in a row)

All of whom are first time semi-finalists as well. Hard to say who will win out of the four ladies left. 

I want to say Krajicekova or Sakkari (rooting for Sakkari a little actually). But it could very well be Tamara Zidansek the way this tournament has gone. 

Wouldn't it be something to see a Greek on the men's side with Tsitsipas and compatriot Sakkari on the other?.  But more likely we'll get 1 out of 2. 

Defending Champion Iga Swiatek marches into Roland Garros quarters with hard fought victory

Seriously though how cool is this? ♥

Roland Garros Twitter

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Facing unfamiliar territory in more ways than one on Monday night at Roland Garros, Iga Swiatek passed the test posed by both the conditions and her Ukrainian foe Marta Kostyuk with flying colors.


Playing her first scheduled night session match on Court Philippe-Chatrier against an opponent 13 months younger than her, the defending champion and No.8 seed sealed the eighth and final berth in the quarterfinals with a hard-fought 6-3, 6-4 victory.

Not often the elder of the two when she takes the court, the 20-year-old had her hands full with an 18-year-old Kostyuk, who was playing in the fourth round of a Grand Slam for the first time.

A break down early in the first set and pushed all the way in the second, Swiatek needed to summon all her experience on the main stage in Paris to secure a 92-minute win.

"Playing the night session... is always hard, because you have to change the whole rhythm of the day, change the routines," Swiatek said after the match.

"So still, even though I played many night sessions right now, I sometimes struggle at the beginning to find the rhythm and to see the ball properly with the lights, not with the sun.

"You just have to adjust to that, because we both have the same conditions. It's going better and better every match, but still, I need some more experience.

"I like [being tested] because it keeps me constantly on my toes. It just keeps you focused all the time, because you don't have that flow, so... you have to work all the time.

"With that flow, you sometimes can seem surprised that, 'Hey, something is not good,' and then you're going to panic. But right now I'm getting tested, as you said. Still I'm moving forward, so that's even better for me."

Six of the nine games played in the first set stretched past deuce, including a six-deuce fourth game where Swiatek earned the break back after dropping her own serve at 1-1.

The pair later swapped service games at the same stage of the second set before Swiatek earned a second at 3-3, the break that eventually decided the match. She denied Kostyuk a chance to pull level at 4-4, and though the Ukrainian saved a match point in the eighth game to force Swiatek to serve for the match, the No.8 seed would ultimately not be denied on her second chance.

"It was really intense. It was just one of the points when I couldn't finish her and she was fighting till the end," Swiatek said of her thoughts on match point.

"I'm pretty happy that my lob was in, because I couldn't actually see. But it was risky, so I felt like kind of shaky, but I'm really happy that I made it in [an] important point. I was pretty solid so I'm happy about that."

The win gives Swiatek a pair of 10-match winning streaks, both overall this season and at Roland-Garros as her sets-won streak in Paris extends to 22. She's also one of four quarterfinalists to still be alive in the singles and doubles fields, joining Barbora Krejcikova, Elena Rybakina and Anastasia Pavlyuchenkova.

Up next for Swiatek is a first-ever meeting against No.17 seed Maria Sakkari, who ousted last year's runner-up, No.4 seed Sofia Kenin, 

in straights earlier in the day.

"I haven't played her, so it's hard to say. I played many practices with her, and she's really cool girl. Our teams, we like each other," Swiatek said.

"It's never easy to play with one of the nicest girls on tour. Tactically, I'm going to for sure be prepared. Right now I'm not thinking about it, because still I have tomorrow doubles. So I just want to focus on getting my body back to being fresh.

"Hopefully, it's going to be good. She's the kind of player who likes to play defense as well, as my opponent today. I'm just going to be ready. I'm going to be patient and hopefully it's going to get results."

wtatennis.com

Boy, this match was intense!, both players had to generate their own energy, and the ralies they produced made you wish they had played during the day instead. 

The crowd would have gone wild with what both of them showcased in two very tight sets. I found myself gripping my pillow I was so nervous. 

Wow can Iga deliver under pressure though, it's honestly astounding. The focus and intensity she has. 

It makes for fantastic viewing because you know that even when she's down, she'll try her damnest to figure out a way to win. 

She really showed a champions fighting spirit tonight, when her back was the most against the wall than it 's been all tournament. I just hope that her playing doubles on her day off doesn't backfire energy wise. 

Then again she did that last year as well, and won the whole thing so I guess it's good to be 20. Well done Iga!. Another fantastic performance. 

Sakkari might be Iga's biggest challenge yet especially since she's one of the fittest players on tour but I have faith and I am really looking forward to what is sure to be another popcorn worthy match.  Jazda! ♥

Roger Federer withdraws from Roland Garros to protect his body before Wimbledon

Roger Federer withdrew from Roland Garros ahead of his fourth-round match against Matteo Berrettini, the tournament announced on Sunday.

"After discussions with my team, I’ve decided I will need to pull out of Roland Garros today,” Federer wrote on Twitter. “After two knee surgeries and over a year of rehabilitation, it’s important that I listen to my body and make sure I don’t push myself too quickly on my road to recovery. I am thrilled to have gotten three matches under my belt. There is no greater feeling than being back on court.”

The 2009 champion battled through a tough four-setter against Dominik Koepfer in the third round, which ended in the early hours of Sunday morning.

"The Roland Garros tournament is sorry about the withdrawal of Roger Federer, who put up an incredible fight last night,” Tournament Director Guy Forget said. “We were all delighted to see Roger back in Paris, where he played three high-level matches. We wish him all the best for the rest of the season.”

Berrettini advances to his second Grand Slam quarter-final. The Italian will next play World No. 1 Novak Djokovic or #NextGenATP Italian Lorenzo Musetti.

Federer is next scheduled to compete at the NOVENTI Open, beginning 14 June. The Swiss has won the grass-court ATP 500 tournament in Halle, Germany, 10 times. He will also compete at The Championships, where he will seek a ninth Wimbledon title.

atptour.com


An unsurprising and wise though very controversial decision, for which he's receiving a lot of scrutiny.

But Roger has made it no secret it's all about Wimbledon for him. He got what he wanted out of the French and that's match toughness and preparation for the grass.

Roland Garros will always belong to Rafa and if he wins it again he'll surpass Roger for all time Grand Slams. Wimbledon is Roger's only shot at keeping that record even.

Had he decided to play he could have possibly hurt one of his knees again (by pushing himself too quickly) and setting him back for another god knows how long.

I would much rather he take a few days off and train for the grass, where everyone knows he actually has a shot at winning.

A lot of people have voiced their opinion on the matter and think he should have toughed it out, or withdrew during the grueling match.

But than we wouldn't have gotten those incredible memories he created by winning. Also Roger has never withdrawn during a match in his whole career, so he wasn't about to start now.

Deciding to play could have also impacted the rest of his season and his longevity in general, and that would be a real shame, because him being around still competing for the biggest titles is good for the sport.

So while I'm very sad about him no longer being in the draw, at the same time I'm really looking forward to watching his artistry on the grass.

It's been far too long since we've last witnessed it. Rest up champ, and see you on the grass.

Roger Federer plays 4 grueling sets to reach Roland Garros 4th round

Swiss survives a stern test from Dominik Koepfer to reach the Roland-Garros fourth round

Roger Federer muttered to himself, shot weary glances at his box, struggled with his serve and even forgot the scoreline.

Federer’s first night session at Roland-Garros against German lefty Dominik Koepfer did not go as planned.

But even at the age of 39, and playing in only his sixth match this season after a long lay-off because of injury, the Swiss had the heart to get the job done.

“J’adore le tennis,” Federer said, after winning a gruelling 7-6(5), 6-7(3), 7-6(4), 7-5 battle at 12:43am on Sunday morning in an empty main Court Philippe-Chatrier.

“My fighting spirit got me over the line,” said the 2009 winner, who missed most of last year after undergoing two knee surgeries. “You’ve got to love what you do, and I do.”

Unlike his previous two matches, which were played in the daytime in warm weather, the conditions for Federer’s third round were completely different.

Federer, one of the most popular players to have ever grace the Parisian clay, walked onto the main stadium court in almost complete silence. The night sessions in Paris are played behind closed doors because of a 9pm curfew due to the coronavirus.

“It benefits the players like myself or other players that are very focused when they go practice nowadays,” said Federer, when asked what it was like to play with no fans.

“I probably would have struggled a great deal when I was a teenager or a young player, because for me, practice was not really what I loved doing at all. I actually really disliked it, and for me it was all about the matches and atmosphere and playing for something.”

Federer began well, as he served smartly. But his 59th-ranked German opponent immediately showed he was not going to be a pushover, hitting heavy groundstrokes on both wings to keep the Swiss back.

After taking the first set on the tiebreak, Federer broke in the opening game of the second set but surrendered the break soon after. The pair then swapped breaks again, with the No.8 seed trying to outhit the left-handed Koepfer, who was causing damage with his backhand.

As Federer lost rhythm on serve, Koepfer took the second set on the tiebreak and when he broke in the opening game of the third, the 2009 champion looked in trouble.

“I wasn't sure after the second set how much was left in the tank, so it was a good battle until then,” Federer said. “I feel like I needed to maybe pace myself ever so slightly at that moment, especially emotionally, of not pressing too hard and wanting it too badly.”

But after battling hard to win his service games, Federer broke back for 4-4 as Koepfer faltered and then, serving better again and using the drop shot superbly, he snatched the third-set tiebreak to move ahead as the clock struck midnight in Paris.

In the fourth set, Federer broke early but was pegged back and had to keep strong on serve to stay in it, only to then lift his game again, breaking for 6-5 and serving out the clash for a well-earned victory. The 39-year-old has now reached the fourth round in Paris on his last 13 consecutive trips to Roland-Garros. He faces Italy’s Matteo Berrettini in the fourth round.

Federer said his win over Koepfer was “very important” for him.

“I clearly hadn't practiced three hours 35, because that's obviously always pushing it. I pushed as much as I could, as we thought reasonable. But this today was a huge step forward for the team, and for all of us. I didn't expect to be able to win three matches here,” he added.

The 27-year-old Koepfer hailed the 20-time major champion, and marvelled at his abilities after spending more than two decades on tour.

“Roger is Roger,” Koepfer told German press after the match. “Unbelievable what he does at the age of 39. He plays very good tennis and is incredibly fit. He played better in the deciding moments.”

Although Federer was tired, he still managed to crack a joke as he left the court.

“Thank you for not falling asleep everybody, I appreciate it,” he joked, with a huge grin on his face.

RolandGarros.com

I have witnessed a lot of Roger Federer matches over the years, and at this point I really thought I had seen it all when it comes to the great Swiss. Turns out I was wrong. 

What he showed in this match was otherworldly. 

Playing in front of no crowd late into the early hours of the morning for a total of 3:36 minutes Roger Federer showed his incredible seemingly never ending fighting spirit; or maybe as the title of this Roland Garros article so aptly put it: his incredible love for the game of tennis.

The man is 2 months shy of his 40th Birthday. And yet after over a year and a half away from the game he still produced what might just be one of the best matches of his career on clay no less.

Looking dead on his feet in the 3rd set he showed grit that reminded us all why he's a 20 time Grand Slam Champion and somehow got himself over the finish line in a lifeless stadium.

If that's not inspirational I don't know what is. Take note young guns, that's how you give it your all.

This marked his 365th Grand Slam match win & 73rd at Roland Garros. Good luck trying to tie that record Novak Djokovic.

Roger's phenomenal effort was made all the more bittersweet by his withdraw from the tournament less than 12 hours later. But more on that in another post.

Defending Champion Iga Swiatek marches into 2nd week at Roland Garros

Defending champion has now won her last 20 consecutive sets at Roland-Garros as she blasts into the fourth round

Iga Swiatek has been playing like a rock star at this year’s Roland-Garros – and listening to others at the same time.

The 20-year-old Pole, whose march to the title last year was accompanied by the sounds of Guns N' Roses (Welcome to the Jungle was on repeat) in her ears, says she’s switched bands as she psyches herself up for matches.

“I have the same playlist as in Rome, so it's Led Zeppelin right now,” she said. “Last year it was Guns N' Roses, right now it's Led Zeppelin; so similar kind of music but different band.

“Off court I started to listen to some Polish music, and that's new for me because actually I haven't listened to Polish music ever. It's really cool. I would recommend it. But probably from this group, only two people would understand it.”

Swiatek booked her place in the last 16 at Roland-Garros with a 7-6(4), 6-0 victory over Anett Kontaveit and now plays Marta Kostyuk of Ukraine for a spot in the last eight.

Unlike many people who are influenced by their parents’ musical tastes, Swiatek said she had found Led Zeppelin herself, albeit with the help of a film
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“I just started listening to rock, and I was like browsing, and I liked them,” she said.

“I think I started listening to them more when I watched 'Thor'. Yeah, I listened to them even a few years ago, and I watched 'Thor: Ragnorok' in Australia."

Kontaveit had beaten Swiatek in both their previous meetings and broke in the first game.

The Estonian held the lead to 4-3 but Swiatek didn’t panic, broke back and then won the tiebreak before relaxing in the second set and storming away to her 10th straight-sets victory in Paris in a row.

Swiatek said it was good to have a battle, preparation for the tough assignments likely to come next week.

“For sure, when you're winning too easily sometimes you have thoughts that, 'hey, if I'm leading 3-0 I'm going to win this set easily', and you kind of take everything for granted,” she said. “It’s natural.

“I'm trying not to do that when I'm leading. And also, it's good to have matches like that because it keeps you down-to-earth and you have to just be careful on every point and on every game.

“I'm just happy that I'm able to play really solid deciding balls and really solid in really important moments. That's the most important thing for me.”

Swiatek said she was looking forward to having her sports psychologist, Daria Abramowicz, onsite with the rest of the team in the second week and isn’t worried that any change in routine will upset her rhythm.

“I’m trying to keep my routines the same way because that's why they're routines basically,” she said, with a smile.

“But Daria, she's been with me on many tournaments, most of them actually, so it's just easier to keep them. You don't have to worry about many things because she's the brain in our team.

“I guess it changes the chemistry in the team sometimes because we have two boys and two girls, but I like it both ways, so it doesn't really matter.”

rolandgarros.com

The first real test for Iga passed with flying colours. 

Her next match could be another tricky one, playing someone younger than her who she's never played and has nothing to lose. 

Could be a cracking match. 

I know I keep saying this but Swiatek's composure at this Grand Slam astounds me. 

Iga Swiatek takes care of business moves into 3rd round at Roland Garros

Defending champion Iga Swiatek swept into the third round of the French Open on Thursday, dispatching Rebecca Peterson of Sweden, 6-1, 6-1 in just one hour and one minute.

No.8 seed Swiatek has notched nine straight victories on the grounds of Roland Garros, and her victory over World No.60 Peterson was one of her most emphatic yet as she booked a spot in the third round for the third straight season.

"From the beginning, I felt like I had a good day today since I woke up, so I knew that, you know, I'm going to be in the right mood," Swiatek said in her post-match press conference. "I just kept that."

"I did my routines before the match," Swiatek continued. "Then when I was on the court, I just felt the ball perfectly. I felt like I could do anything with it. So I'm pretty happy that I had this attitude right now."

Swiatek, who became the first-ever Polish Grand Slam singles champion last year in Paris, has now won eight straight matches on tour, having won her third career singles title in Rome in her most recent event.

Currently ranked at a career-high World No.9, Swiatek was in complete control of her first meeting with Peterson, winning 80 percent of her first-service points, and slamming 22 winners to the Swede's seven.

"Obviously the score says that it was pretty easy, and it wasn't, because [Peterson] was playing really nice balls with good rhythm," Swiatek said.

Peterson had a handful of chances on the Swiatek serve in the opening set, and the two-time WTA singles titlist got on the scoreboard at 5-0 by breaking Swiatek with a forehand winner, preventing a bagel. But that proved to be a minor blip for Swiatek as she broke straight back at love, clinching the one-set lead with a deft dropshot.

The dropshot continued to come into play during the second set as well, as Swiatek mixed that stroke even more frequently into her otherwise powerful array of groundstroke weaponry. Once again, Swiatek charged ahead 5-0, this time without even facing a break point in the set.

"I can actually confuse players with that [dropshot] because they are, like, backing up, because I play really strong topspin and really heavy balls," Swiatek said. "They are not staying close to the baseline. They're waiting for the ball to drop. I can use dropshots and surprise them because they are not ready to go forward."

At last, Peterson held serve for the very first time in the penultimate game of the match, once more putting a digit in her ledger. But that only delayed the inevitable as Swiatek charged to triple match point in the next game, then fired a forehand winner on her first chance to wrap up the win.

Swiatek will face a seeded player in the next round of her title defense when she takes on No.30 seed Anett Kontaveit of Estonia. Former Top 15 player Kontaveit had a similarly swift victory on Thursday as she breezed past French hope Kristina Mladenovic, 6-2, 6-0, in just 51 minutes.

Former Top 10 player and 2017 Roland Garros quarterfinalist Mladenovic was no match for Kontaveit on the day, as the Estonian hit 20 winners to Mladenovic's seven, and never had her serve broken.

Kontaveit does bring an eye-opening 2-0 head-to-head lead into her clash with Swiatek, including a close, gritty victory over the Pole in the round of 16 at last year's Australian Open.

wtatennis.com

Next one is going to be the first real test for Iga but if she plays as well as her first 2 matches, she will finally get her win over Kontaveit for sure. Should be a high quality match. 

Roger Federer gaining confidence as he gets past Cilic at Roland Garros

Swiss great stands up to Cilic's second-round challenge to claim battle of Grand Slam champions

It is not at this early stage that one half of the four Grand Slam champions left expect to cross paths.

Next to the 'Big Three', Marin Cilic was the only other man with a major trophy to his name following the first round in Paris.

On Thursday, only three could possibly survive and it was the most senior standard-bearer – the oldest man in the draw – Roger Federer, who stepped up to let Cilic know it was his time to go.


As had been the case in 10 prior showdowns, the Croatian started as rank underdog – despite having climbed as high as world No.3 – but had hoped Federer’s lack of matches might compensate for his lack of wins leading in.

This was the only Slam where the two had never met and Federer ensured he left Court Philippe-Chatrier with the box set of victories, his 6-2, 2-6, 7-6(4), 6-2 result achieved in two hours and 35 minutes.

“I feel like I come out of a match like this and I know why it was up and down,” Federer said. “And then that I was able to attain a solid level once he did break back in the third set and things were looking dangerous for me, that I was able to step up a gear, stay with him, and then pull away from him, I think that gives me a lot of confidence.”


Federer’s only defeat to the Croatian came in straight sets in a US Open semi-final seven years ago, when Cilic went on to capture his sole major trophy.

In 2017, a blistered left foot scuppered any chance of Cilic challenging for the trophy in the Wimbledon final, while six months later, it was the Swiss who again left the Croatian reeling following a five-set defeat in the Australian Open decider.

Three years on, 13 years since they first met, Federer was at it again.

One piece of Swiss artistry notably whipped the crowd into a wolf-whistling cacophony on Thursday, when he sliced a drop-shot backhand return from head height. The shot barely cleared the net for a winner and elicited a frown of concern across his opponent’s brow.

The 2009 champion was flying freely and secured the opening set a game later, but no sooner was it in the bag before momentum swung heavily Cilic’s way.

Federer engaged in a lengthy exchange with the chair umpire after being handed a time violation for taking too long between points at 1-3. This fetching your own towel caper was taking some getting used to and chewing up valuable Swiss time.

“I just feel like it was a misunderstanding on many levels. I didn't understand it and figure it out, and I guess I'm just new to the new tour,” Federer laughed. “It was quite interesting to live through it. Got a little energy to the match, which I liked.”

Cilic managed to hold his concentration and serve and rammed home the advantage with a double break to level the match.

This showdown ultimately hinged on the third set and it was the world No.47 who faltered on a double fault to direct the tiebreak in Federer’s favour.

Another double fault cost him dearly in the fourth as he conceded an early break and it was enough to sound his death knell as Federer pulled clear.

A third-round meeting with German world No.59 Dominik Koepfer is next for the No.3 seed and the chance to put his refurbished knee to the test again.

“For me, my knee, the good thing is that I got a lot of information out of a match like this,” Federer said. “We will keep on getting information tomorrow and the next day, so I hope I can back it up with another good match.

“And whatever the outcome is, I know it was definitely the right choice to come here to Paris, which I'm very happy about.”

rolandgarros.com