Roland Garros: Iga Świątek Battles Through to Second Round
Polish tennis star Iga Świątek has advanced to the second round of the French Open, defeating Slovakia’s Rebecca Sramkova in a hard-fought match. The world number five, who was seeking her fifth consecutive title at Roland Garros, won 6-3, 6-3.
According to reports from Interia.pl, Świątek, 23, had a challenging start to the tournament, having not won a title in almost 12 months. Her last victory was at the French Open, where she defeated Jasmine Paolini in the final. However, a disappointing loss to Danielle Collins in the third round of the Italian Open led to her dropping to fifth in the WTA rankings.
In her first-round match, Świątek faced Sramkova, a Slovakian tennis player who led her team to a remarkable success in the Billie Jean King Cup in November. The two players had previously met in the Australian Open, where Świątek dominated, winning 6-0, 6-2. This time, however, Sramkova proved to be a more formidable opponent.
The match got off to a tight start, with Sramkova serving first. The Slovakian player navigated the early stages without major issues, holding her serve to 30. Świątek, however, was unable to capitalize on her early advantages, allowing the game to reach a tiebreaker. Ultimately, the Polish player managed to hold her serve and level the score.
The fifth game proved to be a crucial point in the match, with Świątek pushing hard for a break. Despite Sramkova’s valiant efforts, Świątek eventually broke through, taking a 3-2 lead. From there, she controlled the remainder of the set, securing a 6-3 victory.
In the second set, Świątek began to struggle, allowing Sramkova to take control. The Slovakian player broke Świątek’s serve early on and then consolidated her lead with a comfortable hold. As the set wore on, however, Świątek regained her composure, winning 15 of the next 17 points to take a 5-3 lead.
Sramkova showed resilience, saving two match points to force a deciding game. But Świątek remained focused, ultimately sealing a 6-3, 6-3 victory on her third match point.
As quoted by Interia.pl, Świątek will now face either Emma Raducanu or Xinyu Wang in the second round.
"Iga Świątek – Elisabetta Cocciaretto" and "Iga Świątek" images courtesy of Manu Fernandez/AP and MARCO BERTORELLO / AFP respectively.
Rebecca Sramkova is pictured here courtesy of Foto Olimpik/NurPhoto.
Świątek in action during Roland Garros, a picture by EMMANUEL DUNAND / AFP
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