"For sure it was a good match, and a good start of the hard-court season," Swiatek told reporters afterward. "I'm happy with the level. The first set I was playing with a lot of confidence and very straightforward, so for sure a good one. Then, in second, parts of that were kind of the same as first. But there were for sure a few tricky games, especially the long one. I haven't played a game like that in some time, so I'm happy that I won it and I was solid at the end, so for sure a good match."
The pair had already met in the second round of Roland Garros this year -- and though Swiatek won that encounter 6-2, 6-3, she noted afterwards that Bejlek's speed and variety had made it a "tricky match." It was little surprise that the No. 7 seed came out of the blocks sharp, winning a superb cat-and-mouse exchange on the very first point and then hammering a return winner for an immediate break of the Bejlek serve.
That set the stage for a dominant opening set in which Swiatek fired seven winners, committed only three unforced errors and conceded just 11 points in total. As she advanced to a point to hold for 4-0 in the second set, the possibility of her first 6-0, 6-0 victory since defeating Amanda Anisimova in the 2025 Wimbledon final loomed.
Hot shots and a 13-deuce tussle: Swiatek passed up the 4-0 opportunity by netting a forehand -- and Bejlek, who had been switching up her tactics with drop shots and net play in a bid to get a foothold in the match, seized her opportunity to create some momentum. The World No. 38, who claimed her first WTA title in Abu Dhabi in February, won the best point of the match in the next game, an enthralling 19-stroke exchange in which she did not give Swiatek the same shot twice, and finished with an angled backhand pass.
With Swiatek's lead cut to 3-2, the Polish star had to battle through a marathon 13-deuce game to prevent Bejlek from leveling the score. It featured both spectacular winners and cheap mistakes as both players' form oscillated; Swiatek managed to save nine break points before finally converting her sixth game point as Bejlek sent a forehand long.
"Honestly, I didn't know it was that long," Swiatek said. "When I was playing, I didn't really feel that. But for sure I knew that she missed some opportunities, I missed some opportunities. I really wanted to be solid for just two points in a row to win it, because at the end that's what you need to win a game when it's like deuce/advantage, deuce/advantage, you know. I knew that I can for sure use the opportunities, because two or three of them I just missed, it was my mistake. I knew that I can just come back to being solid, and she helped me a little bit to close it."
Having emerged from that tussle, Swiatek managed to get over the line safely, sealing her third match point when a dead net cord went in her favor. However, her tally of 24 unforced errors in the second set is a statistic she'll aim to improve on when she faces Viktorija Golubic, who upset No. 31 seed Donna Vekic 5-7, 6-2, 6-3, in the third round.
wtatennis.com
40 - Iga Swiatek hs claimed her 40th set with 6-0 score line in Tier1/WTA-1000 events, only Martina Hingis (52) and Serena Williams (50) would have more since the format's introduction in 1990. Fire.
2 - Since the WTA-1000 format’s introduction in 2009, only Serena Williams (80.4%) holds a better career winning percentage than Iga Swiatek (79.8%, 139-35) in such events. Marching.
The pair had already met in the second round of Roland Garros this year -- and though Swiatek won that encounter 6-2, 6-3, she noted afterwards that Bejlek's speed and variety had made it a "tricky match." It was little surprise that the No. 7 seed came out of the blocks sharp, winning a superb cat-and-mouse exchange on the very first point and then hammering a return winner for an immediate break of the Bejlek serve.
That set the stage for a dominant opening set in which Swiatek fired seven winners, committed only three unforced errors and conceded just 11 points in total. As she advanced to a point to hold for 4-0 in the second set, the possibility of her first 6-0, 6-0 victory since defeating Amanda Anisimova in the 2025 Wimbledon final loomed.
Hot shots and a 13-deuce tussle: Swiatek passed up the 4-0 opportunity by netting a forehand -- and Bejlek, who had been switching up her tactics with drop shots and net play in a bid to get a foothold in the match, seized her opportunity to create some momentum. The World No. 38, who claimed her first WTA title in Abu Dhabi in February, won the best point of the match in the next game, an enthralling 19-stroke exchange in which she did not give Swiatek the same shot twice, and finished with an angled backhand pass.
With Swiatek's lead cut to 3-2, the Polish star had to battle through a marathon 13-deuce game to prevent Bejlek from leveling the score. It featured both spectacular winners and cheap mistakes as both players' form oscillated; Swiatek managed to save nine break points before finally converting her sixth game point as Bejlek sent a forehand long.
"Honestly, I didn't know it was that long," Swiatek said. "When I was playing, I didn't really feel that. But for sure I knew that she missed some opportunities, I missed some opportunities. I really wanted to be solid for just two points in a row to win it, because at the end that's what you need to win a game when it's like deuce/advantage, deuce/advantage, you know. I knew that I can for sure use the opportunities, because two or three of them I just missed, it was my mistake. I knew that I can just come back to being solid, and she helped me a little bit to close it."
Having emerged from that tussle, Swiatek managed to get over the line safely, sealing her third match point when a dead net cord went in her favor. However, her tally of 24 unforced errors in the second set is a statistic she'll aim to improve on when she faces Viktorija Golubic, who upset No. 31 seed Donna Vekic 5-7, 6-2, 6-3, in the third round.
wtatennis.com
First set felt like vintage Iga. 2nd set things got a bit complicated in the 6th game. But the fact that Iga won a crazy 21 minute game saving 9 break points felt encouraging.
Sure some might say that it was a lack of focus, the forehand completely going off and rushing once her opponent picked up her level.
But I'm choosing to look at the positives, because for 9 games Iga was flawless.
And I just missed her on tour so damn much.
Winning that game might give her some belief that she can still really hang in there even when things start to go awry as long as she stays calm and problem solves.
The first 9 games remined me how she still truly is one of the best returners on tour.
And when everything is clicking, forehand, serve etc she still is just an absolute treat to watch.
I'm genuinely looking forward to watching her more this week.
Welcome back Iga.
40 - Iga Swiatek hs claimed her 40th set with 6-0 score line in Tier1/WTA-1000 events, only Martina Hingis (52) and Serena Williams (50) would have more since the format's introduction in 1990. Fire.
2 - Since the WTA-1000 format’s introduction in 2009, only Serena Williams (80.4%) holds a better career winning percentage than Iga Swiatek (79.8%, 139-35) in such events. Marching.