Iga Swiatek survives scare to reach 3rd Roland Garros Quarter-final

Top seed Iga Swiatek survived a big scare to keep her Roland-Garros title hopes alive as she beat Chinese teenager Zheng Qinwen 6-7(5), 6-0, 6-2 to reach the quarter-finals on Monday, extending her winning streak to 32 matches.

The 2020 champion squandered five set points in the opening set as the 19-year-old Zheng won five straight points to win the tiebreak after 82 minutes.

But after world No.74 Zheng had a medical timeout for a right thigh injury at 3-0 down in the second set, the world No.1 pulled away for a hard-earned victory after two hours and 45 minutes.

Swiatek, who is into her third straight Roland-Garros quarter-final, will play American Jessica Pegula, the No 11 seed, in the last eight.
Story of the match

Zheng had beaten Simona Halep on her way to round four of a Grand Slam for the first time and right from the start, Swiatek could tell that she would have to be on her toes. And so it proved as the 19-year-old gave her a huge scare.

With a big forehand and a backhand reminiscent of Li Na, China’s first and to date only Grand Slam singles champion, Zheng forced two break points in the opening game.

But Swiatek saved both, the first with a thunderous forehand winner and then broke in the next game before holding again to lead 3-0.

In her run of 31 straight wins, Swiatek had handed out 15 bagel sets but Zheng avoided that in the opening set with a superb serve-and-volley combination and then, with her confidence rising, broke Swiatek to get back on serve with a series of big-hitting groundstrokes.

But Swiatek steadied herself and broke Zheng right back in the sixth game, a sharp backhand return forcing the Chinese to attempt a drop shot, which fell short to give the world No.1 a 4-2 lead. Zheng threatened to break back again but Swiatek held for 5-2, fist pumping.

Zheng held for 5-3 and at 40-15, Swiatek looked set to close out the set only for her opponent to save both set points and then a third, before Swiatek netted a tight backhand to hand back the break again.

Suddenly, the top seed was looking rattled. Zheng held for 5-5 and with the help of two superb drop shots after lengthy rallies, she forced two break points to go ahead for the first time. Swiatek saved the first with an ace and the second with a brilliant forehand and held on to lead 6-5.

The 12th game was a mini-classic in itself. Zheng forced Swiatek to play her very best tennis and put a smash away to end a brilliant point and give herself a fourth set point. Zheng saved it with a big backhand and then a fifth with a big serve, before holding to force a tiebreak.

Zheng led 2-0 but Swiatek won five straight points to lead 5-2 only for the Chinese to reel off five straight points herself, seemingly with no nerves, clinching the set when Swiatek framed a backhand wide, she had the set.

Both women took bathroom breaks before the start of the second and Swiatek emerged carrying a set of notes.

Having removed her sweatshirt midway through the first set, Swiatek put it back on at the start of the second and immediately broke, helped by one double fault from the Chinese teenager.

Swiatek saved a break point in the next game with a superb volley and another to lead 2-0 before breaking for a second time to lead 3-0. Zheng called the trainer for what looked like a problem with her right leg and after a medical timeout, she emerged with heavy strapping on her right thigh.

The injury changed everything. Swiatek raced through the rest of the set for her 15th bagel set of the year.

Zheng then removed the strapping from her leg in the opening game of the third. She was broken early in the final set but steadied herself and Swiatek struggled to deal with an injured opponent.

The Chinese hung in well until 4-2 but a double fault gave the Pole a second break and she made no mistake as she served out for victory.
Key stats

As you might imagine for a tiebreak set, the first set was pretty even, with very little to choose between the two.

The only area in which Swiatek was having slightly more success was on the Zheng second serve. In the first set, the teenager was winning just 33 per cent of points on second serve, compared to 60 per cent for the world No.1.

Over the entire match, it was even more in Swiatek’s favour; Zheng winning 30 per cent and Swiatek 64 per cent.

Swiatek also had more success on break points, taking 7/14, compared to just 2/10 from Zheng.

The Chinese also hit more winners than Swiatek in the opening set but by the end of the match, Swiatek had completely turned things around with 32 winners to 21 for Zheng.
What the players said

Iga Swiatek: “She’s playing amazing tennis. I’ve never had a chance to play her and I was surprised by some of her shots. Her topspin is amazing, huge congrats to her, it’s a huge tournament, it’s a good result. I’m pretty happy I could come back after a pretty frustrating first set when I held the lead, proud of myself that I’m still in the tournament.

On her quarter-final against Pegula: “(I’ll take it) the same as any other match, honestly. Quarter-final is such a stressful round, hopefully I’m going to be able to play my game. I know how Jessica can play, she’s a had a great season, I know how dangerous she can be.”

rolandgarros.com

What can I say about this match, I knew it was going to be a tough one I just didn't quite know to what degree.

When Iga was serving for the first set after being broken I honestly thought she had things under control and it'd be a fairly straight forward straight sets win. 

But the pressure of deep shots and the spin her opponent was able to create on the ball really surprised Iga. And in turn made her panic a bit at times. 

Her opponent being injured after the first set turned out to be a bit of a lucky break. Although it also meant Iga had to concentrate even harder to keep her focus. It was a match that was far from perfect, I would go as far as to say scrappy and gritty. 

But I think it'll only help Iga going forward. Give her further belief that even when she's not performing at her best all the way through the match she can still find a way to navigate through it.. 

This sort of mentality is something she has developed this year thanks to her new coach. Iga of 2021 would have probably lost this one in straights. 

I will admit I had my doubts even in the 3rd set after her opponents pain killers kicked in and she started playing better. 

But I also knew Iga has had matches like this before so I knew she was capable of fighting and toughing out a physical battle if needed. 

Samonova's 3 hour tussle in Stuttgart comes to mind. So I knew she had a good record of coming back from a set down (7-0 for the year in fact).

I think if anything today showed that despite how it may appear at times with her now 32 straight wins Iga is not invincible. She's very human and what she's doing is quite difficult physically but especially mentally. 

And the pressure of being World #1, the only top ten player left in the draw and being expected to win is immense. 

It's completely normal the fact she is able to recover is what's impressive. I think this win will only give her confidence. 

I think it'll allow her to reset and play better in her next match with an opponent that unlike Zheng she's actually very familiar with. 

Perhaps that unfamiliarity is what made this one so difficult as well. Or the presence of her father in her box. Either way she has managed to survive and we move on to the next challenge. 

Jazda Iga!

On a side note congrats on becoming just the 5th woman in the 2000's to win 15 straight matches as world #1. Joining the company of Martina Hingis, Serena, Williams, Justine Henin, Dinara Safina

And on tying Justine Henin as the last woman to win 32 straight matches since the year 2000.

Seems this year is all about writing herself into the tennis history books. Love it.  

Iga Swiatek moves into Roland Garros round of 16 with 31 consecutive victory

We're running out of superlatives for world No.1 Iga Swiatek, who “switched modes” to fend off danger in her third round on Saturday, making her way back to the Roland-Garros last-16 stage for the fourth time in as many appearances.

The 20-year-old extended her astonishing winning streak to 31 matches by toppling world No.95 Danka Kovinic 6-3, 7-5 on Court Philippe-Chatrier. Chinese teen Zheng Qinwen awaits in the next round.

Story of the match

The Pole produced a world No.1 level from the very first shot, claiming the opening six points.

The second game was a microcosm of what makes the top seed such a difficult puzzle to solve.

Swiatek was ramping up the pressure with cannonball shots that clipped the lines, lassoing shoulder height forehands, just like her idol Rafael Nadal, to have the Montenegrin against the ropes.

Five break points came and went for Swiatek, with Kovininc desperately seeking an escape, but after 17 minutes of being on the back foot, the world No.95 finally relented to fall 2-0 down.

A hold to love in a flash and it looked probable the Pole was racing towards another ‘bagel’ set (she has already delivered 15 of those this season).

Not quite. At 4-2, 40-0 up came Swiatek’s first true test. The 20-year-old completely lost her timing on the forehand wing, surrendering five consecutive points and her serve.

Utilising her champion’s mentality, which has yielded five straight titles coming into Paris, Swiatek broke back to love, held to love and those eight points snatched away the opener in a flash.

That dominance remained in similar fashion in the second set, as the top seed went up a double-break 4-1.

Kovinic, however, started to swing freely, knocking Swiatek off balance and posting a vital break.

The confidence was coursing at 3-4, breaking to love with some canny angles and a sumptuous forehand drop shot. Another sturdy hold, Kovinic had wrestled away the initiative with 16 of the previous 20 points to edge 5-4 ahead.

How would the 2020 champion respond? Emphatically is the answer, zipping through three games to overcome her sternest examination so far.

Key stats

Swiatek is a self-confessed perfectionist, so she won’t be thrilled by three breaks of serve and an unusually off-beat 5 of 10 conversion on her own break opportunities.

The laser-beam groundstrokes lost their path on several occasions, going into a negative ratio 13-23 in terms of winners and unforced errors. Scarily for her rivals, there’s plenty to work on for the Pole.

Still, 20 straight sets, 31 successive wins, Swiatek marches on.

What the players said

"I wanted to play really aggressively but sometimes I feel I was putting too much power and it was pretty hard to control it when I was playing full speed. I needed to play with a little less risk and try to be more consistent,” stated Swiatek.

"She did a pretty good job of defending and giving back at full speed. She was serving really precisely, it was a little tricky, but I have played with some heavy hitters already, it was just pretty hard to adjust at the beginning, I just had to switch the modes on my receiving.

Asked about gaining a fast start in Grand Slam matches, she said: “I feel like I can play more fearlessly later in the sets, but today I lost both the breaks. But playing well at the beginning is putting pressure on my opponents, which is pretty important for me.”

The Pole is determined to not be consumed by the talk and components of her winning streak, eager to banish any mid-match thoughts creeping in about an eventual loss.

“Well, they do (creep in), but I just try to focus on the stuff that actually is going to give me something. Thinking about all these stats, it's not really helpful,” she explained.

“I try to be really strict in terms of my thoughts and try to really focus on finding solutions.

“The biggest part of the job is to manage them properly and to really shift the focus on the right things. I think I did that pretty well, but they are there."

The 19-year-old Zheng was leading Alize Cornet 6-0, 3-0 before the French veteran was forced to retire. Ahead of their first meeting, Swiatek is already aware of the talent world No.74 Zheng possesses.

“I'm not really familiar, honestly. Because I didn't watch a lot of tennis during past couple of months, but I have heard some other players talking about her," said Swiatek.

“Even when she lost some matches, people were really telling that she has a talent. For now I'm going to prepare, for sure.”

rolandgarros.com

Iga Swiatek sprints to 30 wins in a row at French Open

 

Make it 30: Iga Swiatek's winning streak continued Thursday in the second round of the French Open with a 6-0, 6-2 victory over American Alison Riske.

Riske famously defeated Garbiñe Muguruza at the BNP Paribas Open in March from 6-0, 3-0 down, but there was no repeat to be had in Paris against the World No.1, though she did save three break points in the 10th game of the match to get on the board. She also saved match point at 6-0, 5-2 with a second-serve ace.

Swiatek hit 23 winners to 15 unforced errors in 61 minutes, and she lost just 10 points in seven service games. She improved to 3-0 against Riske with the victory, with all three wins coming on clay; they played in both Madrid and Rome last year.

Iga in the zone: Over the course of her winning streak, Swiatek has been on the record saying that she's been taking her matches just one point at a time. That mentality was on full display against Riske at the start of the second set.

After holding serve to lead 6-0, 1-0, Swiatek sat down in her chair, sipping from her water bottle and expecting a full changeover; she knowingly jumped up moments later after an amusing exchange with chair umpire Emmanuel Joseph, complete with a nearly literal spit-take.

Montenegro's Danka Kovinic will be Swiatek's next foe; after upsetting No.25 seed Liudmila Samsonova in Round 1, she matched her best-ever Grand Slam performance thanks to a 6-3, 7-5 win over Anna Karolina Schmiedlova. Kovinic also reached the third round of the Australian Open earlier this year.

wtatennis.com

Iga Swiatek extends win streak with opening match win at Roland Garros

2020 champion put in a five-star performance to extend her match-winning streak to 29.

Iga Swiatek played to her world No.1 billing to ignite a Roland-Garros title charge with a 6-2, 6-0 opening-round win over qualifier Lesia Tsurenko on Monday.

The Pole dazzled the Court Philippe-Chatrier crowd in under an hour’s play to continue her remarkable run of form.

Swiatek, who arrived in Paris having collected five consecutive trophies this season, motored through for a second-round encounter with Alison Riske.

Story of the match

In the very first point, the 20-year-old arced a forehand cross-court winner onto the tramline to set the tone for a very efficient hour.

Swiatek was exploring all the angles and dimensions of the court, pinging a backhand down the line with masterful point construction.

In three games, with just two points lost, the top seed was playing top-drawer tennis.

Gasps of “oooh” and “aaah” from the stands greeted the Pole’s play, Swiatek claiming the longer rallies, conjuring up effective shots from deep, on the baseline, in transition and at net; it was simply all working.

A loose game at 5-1 gave world No.119 Tsurenko a glimmer of hope, but Swiatek switched back on instantly.

At 1-0 in the second set the 20-year-old Pole chased down a drop shot and angled a forehand shot to brush the baseline. Tsurenko raised her arms aloft, perplexed at how to tackle this mesmerising talent.

A cannonball forehand return winner clinched the fastest match of her season so far – just 54 minutes – a match that was a treat to watch.

Swiatek clearly enjoyed it too, scribbling on the broadcast camera, “Paris I’ve missed you,” alongside a love heart.


Key stats

Obviously the most mind-boggling stat is Swiatek notching up a 29th straight victory. In doing so the 20-year-old also collected a 14th set with a 6-0 scoreline this season.

Swiatek was eager to apply the pressure on return and her crisp striking was rewarded by claiming 28 of 40 receiving points, creating the spark for six breaks of serve.

What the players said

Swiatek speaking to three-time champion Mats Wilander: “I love playing here, even though the last couple of days have been rainy and pretty dark. Paris has this vibe.

“I’m pretty glad that I could find my rhythm. Today was a pretty good match for me.

“I just want to keep going, I’m aware some day my streak may stop, so I’m working every day to be 100 per cent focused on my tennis and not on stats or some numbers. I’m focused on being in a bubble, which will help me to stay consistent. I’ve been doing that the past few weeks and I’ll keep doing that here."

It’s now time for the world No.1 to relax after a solid day at the office...

“I’m pretty happy I’ve finished early. Maybe we’ll go somewhere in Paris to see something. You’re going to see on my Insta story if you’re interested.” Stay tuned!

rolandgarros.com

Iga Swiatek playing with house money at the French Open

PARIS -- If the 2022 season were to end today, Iga Swiatek wouldn't be sweating it. On every possible metric, he year has been a success regardless of what happens going forward. It's a perspective the World No.1 is keeping in mind as she puts her 28-match winning streak on the line at Roland Garros.


Inside Swiatek's rise: Blistering forehands and unmatched aggression

"I don't have any like goals set [like] reaching semifinal or a final," Swiatek told reporters at Media Day at the French Open. "I'm aware that this streak is something that may be coming to an end soon, so I don't want to be heartbroken when it's going to happen. I think being aware of that is pretty healthy.

"So I'm just going to again take it match-by-match, as I did at previous tournaments, and we'll see, honestly. I don't mind, because I already have so much points and I'm pretty happy with the last tournaments that I think this season is already a success for me."

A champion at Roland Garros in 2020, Swiatek has won the past five tournaments she's played, four of them at the WTA 1000 level. In March, she became the youngest player to win the Sunshine Double, in Indian Wells and Miami, and the first player to win the first three WTA 1000 events of the season. In fact, the only 1000 tournament she didn't win was the one she didn't play, when she opted out of the Mutua Madrid Open.

It's easy to forget Swiatek already has a Slam semifinal under her belt this season. In January, she reached the final four in Melbourne, where she fell in Danielle Collins in straight sets.

"It is a completely different chapter because then I was just focused on improving my game on hard court," Swiatek said. "Semifinal was a great achievement for me and pretty solid, I showed a pretty solid game.

"But also, it shows that at the beginning of the season, semifinal was a great success. It's nice to remember what kind of goals I had at the beginning. So I'm not going to right now really be crazy and say that I'm only going to be happy if I win, because that's not true."

But that was then.

On Friday, during Ons Jabeur's media day press conference, Swiatek quickly interrupted the Tunisian's interview to retrieve her water bottle from under the dais. Not missing a beat, Jabeur quipped "So they asked me how to beat you. Can you answer them? I couldn't find an answer."

Swiatek looked at her water bottle. "Probably pour something in here," Swiatek replied, jokingly.

That's the vibe surrounding Swiatek at the moment, both within the locker room and Swiatke herself. She's earned it that respect and belief the hard way.

"I'm more relaxed, because as I was saying, I have so many points and I feel like my position in WTA, I have worked for it," Swiatek said. "I proved to myself and to other people that I can be at the top of the game. Before, I wasn't feeling that much confidence. So this year I feel much more peace."

    wtatennis.com

Champions Reel: Iga Swiatek Rome title defence

 

Iga Swiatek successfully defends Rome wins 5th consecutive title of the season!

ROME, Italy -- World No.1 Iga Swiatek won her fifth consecutive Hologic WTA Tour title on Sunday, defeating No.7 Ons Jabeur, 6-2, 6-2 to win the Internazionali BNL d'Italia. The 20-year-old Polish star successfully defended her title in Rome and extended her winning streak to 28 consecutive matches.


The victory snapped Jabeur's 11-match winning streak, which began with the Tunisian's title run at the Mutua Madrid Open.

"At the beginning of the tournament, I didn't know it would be possible to keep up the streak and with all the wins," Swiatek said. "I'm pretty happy I did it really step by step and I just focused on the right things because I think it led to all the success this week.

"Yeah, for sure it was a long path for me since the beginning, but I'm really proud of myself and my team."

Swiatek is just the second player to ever win four or more WTA 1000 titles in a single season, after Serena Williams won five in 2013. Swiatek has won every WTA 1000 she has contested this season, winning Doha, Indian Wells, Miami and now Rome. She currently holds five of the last nine WTA 1000 titles.

Swiatek won the first WTA 1000 title of her career last year in Rome. She is the ninth player to win back-to-back titles in Rome and the third-youngest player to capture two titles in Rome, older only than Chris Evert and Gabriela Sabatini.

Coming into Sunday's final, Swiatek was looking to level up her head-to-head against Jabeur, who had won their last two meetings. It did not take long for the World No.1 to put her stamp on the match. Swiatek broke Jabeur early to build a quick 3-0 lead and never relinquished control of the match.

Jabeur found herself with two small openings to break the Swiatek serve, but the Pole slammed the door each time. Serving at 4-2 in the first set, a pair of errors put Swiatek into a 0-30 deficit, which she quickly alleviated to hold. Then, in her opening service game of the second set, Swiatek wiped out the first break point she faced in the match.

Jabeur would snap Swiatek's six-game run with her first break of serve in the match at 4-1 in the second set. Buoyed by the break, Jabeur earned her best chance to flip the match in the 4-2 game. In the best game of the match, Swiatek survived a 0-40 deficit to save four break points and keep Jabeur at bay. The World No.1 outmaneuvered Jabeur in a series of rousing cat-and-mouse rallies before closing out the game with a big first serve.

"Coming back from this Love-40 game in the second set was emotionally also tough," Swiatek said. "It was hard for me to switch the modes to be more focused and play the same kind of tennis I played before.

"I felt relief for sure because the second set, it got to a really physical game. At the end, I was just pretty tired. I'm just really happy that I could cope with all the pressure and expectations so well."

Swiatek is now 8-1 in WTA finals and has run off 16 consecutive sets in finals. She has not lost more than five games in a final since losing the first WTA final she ever contested at 2019 Lugano (l. Polona Hercog).

Having swept the titles in Doha, Indian Wells, Miami, Stuttgart, and Rome, Swiatek is now the fourth player in the 2000s to win five or more consecutive tournaments. She joins a vaunted list that includes Venus Williams in 2000, Justine Henin in 2007-2008 and Serena Williams in 2013.

"It's pretty hard to describe it 'cause all these tournaments that I've won seem pretty surreal right now," Swiatek said. "I feel like just continuing the same things that I did before really was the key to that. It's pretty weird because you may think every tournament, that it takes something more. But I'm pretty happy with my solid game. I was able to just play good and also improve during the tournament."

wtatennis.com

I've said this before I am running out of superlatives when it comes to Iga Swiatek. 

I may have to resort to the dictionary!. 

I think I recall saying something about Iga flipping a switch when it comes to finals and finding her highest level when she needs it. 

Well today she flipped that switch again, and it was glorious. Started fast by breaking quickly as always barely allowing her opponent room to breathe. 

She did show she was human right at the of the match. But showed amazing grit at 4/2 40 love down. 

Showed a defense only champions come up with under such incredible pressure. It was magnificent. I will be playing that on replay for a while. 

The moment when she dropped to her knees and started to sob in relief was so beautiful. I admit I got very teary eyed. 

It showed how much this meant to her, and even though she makes it look so easy, how much mental and physical strength it takes to not crumble under the weight of expectation. 

With all these incredible records on the line to boot. 

A 4th consecutive Masters 1000 title (5th over all for the season), a 28 consecutive win. Another tournament without dropping a single set. 31-0 when winning the first set. 36 or is it 37th victory of the season which is not even at the halfway point yet!.  

She's going into Roland Garros next having accumulated all that so...... good luck everyone else! :D. 

Enjoy that Tiramisu Iga, hope you get a kilos worth! :D. See you next week at Roland Garros.

Let's keep this train going, Jazda!. 

Defending champion Iga Swiatek back in the finals of Rome, faces Jabeur for title

ROME, Italy -- World No.1 Iga Swiatek advanced to her fifth consecutive Hologic WTA Tour final on Saturday, defeating No.8 Aryna Sabalenka 6-2, 6-1 in the semifinals of the Internazionali BNL d'Italia. Seeking her eighth career title, the 20-year-old Polish star will face either Ons Jabeur or Daria Kasatkina in Sunday's final.


Swiatek has now won 40 of her past 41 sets and the victory extended her winning streak to 27 matches, the fourth longest of the century. Serena Williams won 27 consecutive matches from the 2014 WTA Finals through 2015 Madrid.

With wins in Doha, Indian Wells and Miami, Swiatek is the first player since Simona Halep in 2017 to make four WTA 1000 finals in a single season. Swiatek has lost just 17 games en route to the Rome final. In the past 25 years at the Foro Italico, only Williams (10), Kim Clijsters (13) and Martina Hingis (15) have lost fewer.

"At these tournaments where we play day after day, we don't really get time to celebrate," Swiatek said. "Right after we finish the previous match, we have to think about the next one. It's pretty tough. But I know that after I'm going to be really proud of myself. For sure I'm going to have time to think about what I did.

"But, yeah, I mean, I'm just constantly surprising myself that I can do better and better. I feel like I actually can believe now that the sky's the limit. That's the fun part, for sure."

Swiatek lost her first meeting against Sabalenka last fall at the WTA Finals but has bounced back to win their next three. The Pole posted straight-set victories over Sabalenka on her way to two of her four titles this season, first in the semifinals of Doha and then in the final of Stuttgart.

Under the beaming sun on Court Centrale, Swiatek put in her best performance of the week to suffocate Sabalenka from the baseline. Swiatek set the tone by breaking Sabalenka in her first two service games to build a 3-1 lead.

Swiatek kept her targets big and consistently tested Sabalenka's rally tolerance. In the end, Sabalenka misfired on 16 unforced errors in the opening set, while striking just three winners. Swiatek, who kept a clean sheet with five winners to six unforced errors, pocketed the opening set in just 31 minutes.

Swiatek jumped out to a 4-0 lead before Sabalenka snapped her run of seven games to hold. Down 4-1, Sabalenka received a medical timeout during the changeover. Swiatek held on the resumption and closed out the win by breaking Sabalenka for the sixth time on the day. Swiatek finished the match with 15 winners and 15 unforced errors. Sabalenka hit eight winners to 31 unforced errors.

"I'm pretty happy that I learned the lessons on previous matches," Swiatek said. "On previous matches, I felt like I'm kind of letting my opponents come back to the match a little bit. This time I wanted to put pressure on my opponent from the beginning till the end. I think Aryna was under pressure, so it really helped me and that was my tactics."

Swiatek is now 30-0 at WTA 1000s when she wins the first set. She is 6-1 in 2022 against Top 10 opponents, having won six straight. Her sole loss came to former No.1 Ashleigh Barty in the Adelaide semifinals.


wtatennis.com

Well, that was a lot more lopsided than I was expecting. The way Sabalenka was talking I really thought she would come in with a real plan to beat Iga. 

But it turned out to be Madrid and Stuttgart all over again. I'll admit I didn't watch any of Sabalenka's matches in Rome, but from everything I heard and read as well as score wise she was playing really well. So this performance was disappointingly surprising. 

Starting to think Sabalenka is developing a bit an Iga Swiatek problem as in she has really gotten into her head (not that I can blame her) most the players on tour can't seem to solve Iga's game either right now. 

That's not to say that Iga wasn't brilliant because she was, as I said in my post a day prior Iga isn't intimidated or bullied by Sabalenka's power she just absorbs it and turns it around on Sabalenka. And pretty much sufficates her with the return of serve (as she has been doing with all of her opponent this year). 

Iga will next face an opponent who has been equally impressive on tour in terms of wins this year last week's Madrid Open Champion Ons Jabeur  who Iga last faced in 2021 and has 2 wins against her on hard court and grass. 

Ons isn't like any other player out there she doesn't just use power (though she has plenty of it at her disposal), but it's the variety, change is speed, slices and of course the world famous drop shot which she can hit from seemingly anywhere that is uniquely unmatched and gives her opponents plenty of headaches. 

This will definitely not be a Karolina Pliskova scenario of last year where Iga served her a double bagel. 

Jabeur'ss variety will be tough to deal with and not get frustrated by. A completely different challenge to anyone Iga has faced this tournament. 

For a while it looked like Kasatkina would be Iga's next opponent but Jabeur saved match points and won in 3 sets. 

At first I thought facing Kasatkina would be easier for Iga given they've played 3 times this year and Iga has won all 3 so it would be great confidence wise. 

But they've never played on clay where Kasatkina's variety shines as well and would undoubtedly have been a frustrating foe as well. 

So the scenario looks as follows: Ons Jabeur the Madrid Champion vs Rome defending Champion a 27 match win streak vs an 11 match win streak 21 matches won when winning the first set vs 30 . Iga's is going for her 4th consecutive WTA 1000's title (5th this season) vs Ons 2nd. 

This final is going to be the equivalent of an unstoppable force meeting an immovable object. And since there can only be one winner something will have to give.  

And on paper Iga has the advantage having spent less time on court and also proving that she has no problem with long grueling matches (as she showed in her 3 hour battle with Samsonova in Stuttgart).  

Jabeur's variety and drop shot although the best in world world can break down on her when she over uses it in stressful situations. 

Then there's the concentration factor Iga has shown incredible mental prowess all year and being pretty ruthless in terms of not letting go of a lead once she grabs it. 

Jabeur on the other hand still has a tendency to lose her concentration in sets allowing her opponents back in. 

Iga will also be trying to achieve something she has not yet succeeded at in her young career, defend a title she won a year prior. 

She will have to serve well as Jabeur is a talented returner herself. Iga does have the fascinating ability to play her highest level in finals. It's like a switch that flips on and brings out her best.

Iga has also not lost a set where as Jabaur had to battle in her last 2 to get where she is. 

Both have shown great fight when losing a set and both have impressive records in 3 setters. If both players play well this final could turn into a classic & a physical and mental battle of wills. 

And I am beyond excited for it.  

Jazda Iga show everyone once again exactly why your #1 ranking was thoroughly deserved. 

Iga Swiatek triumphs over Andreescu to keep Rome title defence alive faces Sablenka next

ROME, Italy -- No.1 seed and defending champion Iga Swiatek extended her winning streak to 26 with a 7-6(2), 6-0 defeat of Bianca Andreescu in 1 hour and 44 minutes to reach the Internazionali BNL d'Italia semifinals.


Swiatek, 20, now owns the joint-fifth longest streak this century, matching the 26 consecutive wins with which Victoria Azarenka began 2012. Only Venus Williams, Serena Williams and Justine Henin have won more matches in a row since 2000.

"Being in that kind of group is like a dream come true for me," she said afterward. "I wouldn't think of that when I was younger. I'm pretty happy that I could do that because consistency was the thing I really wanted to work on last year. This year I feel like it clicked."

Swiatek has also won 38 of her past 39 sets dating back to the fourth round of Indian Wells, with the only dropped set coming to Liudmila Samsonova in the Stuttgart semifinals. The 2020 Roland Garros champion continued her pattern of excelling in the last eight. Swiatek has now won 12 of her 13 tour-level quarterfinals, with the only exception being her loss to Maria Sakkari at Roland Garros 2021.

It was the first pro meeting between two players who captured their first Grand Slams as teenagers within the past three years. Swiatek and Andreescu, the 2019 US Open champion, met only once, as juniors, with Swiatek winning 3-6, 6-3, 6-3 in 2016 Junior Fed Cup action.

Match management: The opening set momentum shifted back and forth. Swiatek had the brighter start, firing a series of backhand winners to take a 2-0 lead. Andreescu hit back with three games on the trot to edge in front, 3-2. Swiatek responded with her own trio of games, slamming a forehand crosscourt to seal a 5-3 lead. Some strong returning from Andreescu pegged the World No.1 back to 5-5.

Fittingly, the opening act was decided by a tiebreak. Andreescu was rattled on the third point by an overrule in favour of Swiatek, who seized the last momentum shift and stayed on the front foot, sealing her first set point with a backhand one-two punch.

Swiatek on preparing to face Andreescu: "I wasn't really expecting anything because I didn't actually know how she's playing after the break. I watched many of her matches before she did that break. Right now I didn't know if her tennis is the same or it changed a little bit.

"But I knew that physically I can play longer rallies and also play longer matches. So basically I was ready for that. Also, I knew that she's going to change rhythm. She did that, which was pretty tricky. Just knowing that, I was just ready for it. Tactically I knew it about it, so I'm pretty happy that we prepared well."

Looking ahead: Swiatek leads the overall head-to-head with Sabalenka 2-1, including both of their meetings this year in the Doha quarterfinals and Stuttgart final. Across those two matches, Swiatek conceded only nine games.

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With this win the list of records for Iga in 2022: 

35 wins

26 in a row 20-0 in WTA1000s 38 of last 39 sets won 13 12 7 SF in 8 events 1000500 in a row 4740 race points 92.11% win rate 9 wins as no1 8 wins over GS champs 6 wins over former no1s

Well it wasn't a 3 set battle, but the first set was a real see-saw affair.  

The way Iga turned it on in the 2nd is just so on par with what she has been doing since February of this year. It's astonishing really. 

For a set Andreescu was able to hang with Iga and give as good as she got. Yet I also can't help but think Iga could have won the set more easily had she started out serving better. 

She had similar serving issues in Azarenka's match. But raised her percentage in the 2nd and thus won more easily.

She's playing well, but not quite firing on all cylinders yet if we compare it to her level before taking a break after Madrid. Yet somehow she's still able to win the match. 

I'm just imaging when she finally gets more comfortable on clay (as she herself said she's still finding her comfort level) how much better she'll be. And that's a scary thought. For her opponents that is.

Speaking of her opponent, Aryna Sabalenka will attempt to best Iga for the 3rd time this year (4th overall). 

Her last 2 attempts didn't go so well, but it looks like she's going into this one with a different mind set, a more calm playing strategy (and is playing better then she has since Aussie Open). 

Will the change in mind set be enough though?. 

That's what I'll be tuning in to see.

  

Sabalenka's power, or ground strokes won't scare Iga off as she has proven she can turn Sabelenka's power around in her favor with her speed and returning on the court. 

If Sabalenka has a really good serving day she does have the ability to hit anyone off the court. 

And with Iga's serving woes thus for in Rome it won't make life easy. But on the other hand given Iga's over all record in Master 1000 semi finals I'm confident Iga will find a way even if Sabalenka manages to make it really tough. 

Her ability to raise her level at this stage in each tournament has become a constant this year. So something tells me whatever level Sabalenka manages to find Iga will be there to match it. 

And I cannot wait to see it. 

Though I think this time I'm going to spare myself the stress and watch the match on reply around lunch time. 

The semi starts at 12 noon local time in Rome which is 6am for me. 

And I desperately need to catch up on my sleep before the start of Roland Garros in a week. 5am matches are a killer on my sleep cycle. 

Expecting more of a battle this time around, but rooting and hoping for the best. 

Jazda Iga keep that winning train rolling!. 

Iga Swiatek makes it 25 in a row, faces Andreescu in Rome quarters

ROME, Italy -- World No.1 Iga Swiatek survived a bruising test to overcome former No.1 Victoria Azarenka 6-4, 6-1 to advance to the quarterfinals of the Internazionali BNL d'Italia. The victory extended Swiatek's winning streak to 25 matches, the longest since Serena Williams ran off 27 straight wins in 2015. The victory sets up a marquee matchup Friday against 2019 US Open champion Bianca Andreescu.

While the score line appears perfunctory, Swiatek found herself under constant pressure from Azarenka's return game. The 20-year-old needed 79 minutes to complete a comeback from a double-break, at 0-3, in the opening set. Azarenka held at least one break point in each of Swiatek's service games in the opener, generating a total of 11 break points.

"I didn't start well, and everybody could see that," Swiatek told reporters. "I'm really happy with the way I reacted and how I improved in the first set. Also how different the second set looked to the first one because I could really reset and really change the way I played. That's the most positive thing for me."

But in the key game of the first set, Swiatek came through a seven-deuce game, wiping out three break chances, to hold for a 4-3 lead. That hold was a part of a five-game run for Swiatek, but Azarenka's fight never wavered. With Swiatek serving for the set at 5-3, the former No.1 wiped out four set points and broke to get back on serve.

Swiatek kept her cool. By now, the Pole had leveled up her tour-best return game, and she broke Azarenka on her fifth set point to finally seal the set. Swiatek continued to dominate on return through the second set, breaking Azarenka four more times to close the match and book her spot in a fifth straight quarterfinal.

Stat of the match: Under pressure throughout the lengthy opening set, Swiatek was forced to play 74 points on her serve. In contrast, Azarenka played just 30. But Swiatek's ability to save eight of 11 break points while converting four of the five break points she earned, flipped the script on an otherwise strong first set from Azarenka.

When the dust finally settled on Court Centrale, Swiatek won 12 of the last 14 games of the match. Swiatek finished with 34 winners to 39 unforced errors, while Azarenka fired 18 winners to 31 unforced errors.

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Well this was definitely not the best Iga has played this year, let's get that out of the way. 

This was a hard fought 25th straight win.

Been a good few months since she has committed half as many unforced errors. I'm still trying to figure out how exactly she ended up winning this in straight sets. 

The first set was pretty much the definition of winning ugly. When you're not playing your best but you fight through till you find your level which is what happened in the 2nd set. 

Iga's next opponent is someone myself and many others thought she might never meet. Having been plagued with injuries and mental struggles the past few years. 

And yet here we are 3 years after her triumph at the U.S. Open Bianca Andreescu is back and playing well making it to the quarterfinals of a Masters 1000 event in only her 2nd tournament back. 

To say I'm excited for their first meeting on the pro tour would be the understatement of the year (they have met once as juniors where Iga won).  

If both play at a high level we could be in for a real treat. 

Iga will definitely have to serve a lot better than today, because Andreescu will have those 2nd serves for breakfast.

This is one of those rare times where I find myself very conflicted as a fan. Having Polish roots, but living in Canada.  

I think I will be slightly less heart broken if she were to lose to a Canadian. I do enjoy watching Bianca Andreescu play equally as much. 

That having been said I'll stick with the country of my birth and cheer hard for Iga, 

I'm expecting a tough competitive 3 set battle, but I'm still going to give Iga a slight edge in the end. 

I have no idea what's gonna happen, but I haven't looked forward to a tennis match this much since Martina Hingis returned from one of her many retirements. 

Jazda Iga!.  Go for your 26th consecutive win.

Iga Swiatek win streak continues with first win in Rome

Make that 24. World No.1 Iga Swiatek's winning streak continued Wednesday at the Internazionali BNL d'Italia.

Returning to action for the first time in two-and-a-half weeks, Swiatek dropped serve twice in the opening set of her first round match against Elena-Gabriela Ruse, but it didn't matter much in the end: Breaking Ruse seven times in 12 opportunities, the top seed cruised to a 6-3, 6-0 win in just 68 minutes. She also hit 15 winners, five times the Romanian's total.

"I'm pretty proud I could get into the rhythm today, just take some lessons during the match and improve my game, game by game," Swiatek said in victory.

"That was pretty solid match for me ... I think she's playing really solid tennis. I could feel that today on my racquet, that she could really give back some strong hits."

Seeking a her fifth consecutive title of 2022 this week, Swiatek is also bidding to win Rome in back-to-back years. Standing between her and another quarterfinal berth is former World No.1 Victoria Azarenka.

Azarenka, the No.16 seed, eased to a 6-2, 6-4 win over Colombia's Camila Osorio earlier in the day Wednesday. Swiatek and Azarenka have split two previous meetings on hard courts, with Swiatek winning their quarterfinal match in Adelaide in January in three sets.

"I was actually talking with my coach, what's the difference between her game on hard court and clay. For sure we're going to analyze that. Tactically I'm going to be prepared," Swiatek said.

"I've never even had a chance to play a practice with her on clay, so I'm not sure how the game is going to look like ... She's such an experienced player that you have to be ready for variety. You have to be ready for facing a lot of variety in her game."

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Iga Swiatek rested and ready to start new chapter in Rome

World No.1 Iga Swiatek is refreshed and ready to defend her title and build on her winning streak at the Internazionali BNL d'Italia.


ROME -- Twelve months ago, Iga Swiatek had yet to break into the Top 10 when she arrived at the Internazionali BNL d'Italia. Then, as has quickly become the signature of Swiatek's career, she burst through that barrier, winning her first WTA 1000 title by a 6-0, 6-0 win in the final.


A year on, the defending champion returns to the Eternal City as the clear-cut World No.1. After reeling off 23 straight wins and four consecutive titles, in Doha, Indian Wells, Miami and Stuttgart, the 2020 Roland Garros champion is rested and ready to attack her favorite surface.

"Last year I feel like I still was trying to find some consistency in the wins that I had, and also confirmation that Roland Garros wasn't just like a [one-off] tournament," Swiatek told reporters at Media Day in Rome. "I feel like I found that and I feel like I can move forward and just focus on my next goals.

"The tournaments that I played this year have shown me that I can play better tennis on hard courts. Right now the transition that I have to do to clay, it's pretty different because usually it was like, 'Whoa, clay, finally I can play well.' Right now it's a little bit different because I feel like my level was high anyway. It didn't strike me [the same] this year."

After withdrawing from the Mutua Madrid Open, Swiatek, 20, put the racquets down for five days before heading to the Rafael Nadal Academy in Mallorca to put in a high-intensity training block on clay.

"It's pretty weird because I really rested, then they almost killed me on the practices," Swiatek said. "Hopefully it's going to give me more power and I'm going to be more ready to play well next tournaments."

The top seed in Rome, Swiatek has a bye into the second round and will face either Shelby Rogers or Alison Riske to open her tournament. A victory would extend her streak to 24 matches, which would be the longest streak since Serena Williams won 27 straight in 2015.

Swiatek, who had played non-stop since Dubai, said her two-week break from competition has allowed her to reflect and refresh.

"I feel like the chapter is a little bit closed," Swiatek said. "Still I'm coming back to [these] moments, which is maybe not good sometimes because you can get your expectations high. I'm working this season also not to look [back] on what happened - doesn't matter if it's good or bad - just looking forward. I think it's going to give me more freedom. My mind is going to be more clear."

If Swiatek's ears were burning while she was kicking up her feet, it's because she remained a topic of conversation among the player set in Madrid. From Naomi Osaka to Madrid champion Ons Jabeur, players went out of their way to celebrate Swiatek.

'She inspires us' - From Osaka to Jabeur, players celebrate Swiatek's surge

"That is probably one of the nicest things I experienced on tour, I would say," Swiatek said. "I saw what Coco was saying and Ons. I wasn't even hoping that players were going to talk about me that way because it's such a nice thing.

"Honestly, I'm pretty glad with just being myself and people are thinking that I'm nice and stuff. It's kind of sometimes overwhelming that they're looking up to me because honestly, two years ago, I was the one looking up to everybody. It's such a new position for me that I don't really know how to react.

"Hopefully I'm going to get used to it and, hopefully, I'm going to have a chance to show good work and good kind of examples."

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Italian Open Draw Iga Swiatek as top seed

The Internazionali BNL d'Italia draw came out Friday with World No.1 Iga Swiatek headlining a field that features 19 of the top 20 players.


It will be the second consecutive Hologic WTA Tour 1000 event on the calendar, with main-draw action kicking off Monday.

Potential Round of 16 by seeding:

[1] Iga Swiatek vs. [16] Victoria Azarenka
[10] Emma Raducanu vs. [5] Anett Kontaveit
[3] Aryna Sabalenka vs. [13] Jessica Pegula
[12] Belinda Bencic vs. [7] Danielle Collins

[8] Garbiñe Muguruza vs. [9] Ons Jabeur
[15] Coco Gauff vs. [4] Maria Sakkari
[6] Karolina Pliskova vs. [11] Jelena Ostapenko
[14] Anastasia Pavlyuchenkova vs. [2] Paula Badosa

Defending champion Swiatek, like all of the Top 8 seeds, has an opening-round bye. In the second round, she will face the winner of an all-American match between Shelby Rogers and Alison Riske. Swiatek could face 2013 Rome runner-up Victoria Azarenka in the Round of 16.

Swiatek did not play the first WTA 1000 clay-court event of the season, withdrawing from this week's Mutua Madrid Open with a shoulder injury. But the Polish star is still undefeated at WTA 1000 events in 2022, winning titles in Doha, Indian Wells and Miami during her ascent to No.1.

The bottom portion of the first quarter is loaded with intriguing matchups. Two US Open champions will square off in the first round, as reigning US Open titlist Emma Raducanu will face 2019 US Open champion Bianca Andreescu in their first meeting.

Whoever prevails will take on the winner of the match between Sara Sorribes Tormo and another former US Open champion, Naomi Osaka. That opener is a rematch from Madrid, where Sorribes Tormo defeated Osaka en route to the quarterfinals.

The player who comes out of this section could meet No.5 seed Anett Kontaveit in the Round of 16.

No.3 seed Aryna Sabalenka is scheduled to face Madrid finalist Jessica Pegula in the Round of 16, if seedings hold. Pegula will face big-hitting Liudmila Samsonova in the first round.

No.7 seed Danielle Collins and No.12 seed Belinda Bencic lurk in the bottom section of this quarter, as does Madrid quarterfinalist Amanda Anisimova.

2020 Rome champion Simona Halep, who has won nine singles titles on clay, is also in this portion. Halep will face Alizé Cornet in the first round in a 2022 Australian Open rematch.

Cornet knocked out Halep in Melbourne this year to make her first Grand Slam quarterfinal. The winner of this match will meet Collins in the second round.

No.4 seed Maria Sakkari and No.8 seed Garbiñe Muguruza are the highest seeds in the third quarter. Muguruza could potentially play No.9 seed and Madrid finalist Ons Jabeur in the Round of 16.

Sakkari has a tricky second-round match lined up against either former US Open champion Sloane Stephens or Ekaterina Alexandrova, who reached the Madrid semifinals this week.

The player who comes out of that section could face a Round of 16 tussle with either No.15 seed Coco Gauff or Angelique Kerber. Gauff and Kerber will face off in a notable opening-round match. Kerber won their lone prior meeting at Wimbledon last year.

No.2 seed Paula Badosa is the highest-ranked player in the last quarter of the draw. She could meet Veronika Kudermetova in the second round. Badosa just beat Kudermetova in the first round of Madrid.

A potential Round of 16 opponent for whoever comes out of that portion could be last year's Roland Garros runner-up Anastasia Pavlyuchenkova or last year's US Open runner-up Leylah Fernandez, who will play each other in the first round.

No.6 seed Karolina Pliskova, who reached the last three Rome finals, winning the 2019 title, also features in the bottom quarter.

No.11 seed Jelena Ostapenko, this week's Madrid semifinalist Jil Teichmann and No.18 Elena Rybakina, the highest-ranked unseeded player, are also in this quarter.

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