Swiatek passes Kenin test in style to seal second-round spot in Australia
Iga Swiatek came through her tricky Australian Open firstround clash with Sofia Kenin after beating the 2020 champion in straight sets yesterday.
The world No 1, who reached the semi-finals at Melbourne Park last year, twice came back from a break down in a gruelling first set lasting 68 minutes but stepped on the gas in the second, winning the final five games to secure a 7-6, 6-2 victory.
Swiatek is on a 17-match winning streak and now faces 2022 runner-up Danielle Collins, who beat three-time Slam winner Angelique Kerber 6-2, 3-6, 6-1. “You never know who it is going to be and you have to be ready no matter what,” fourtime Grand Slam winner Swiatek said about the draw.
“Tennis is a sport where the draw means you can play a former champion, a former world number one or someone with lots of experience. I try not to focus on who is going to be on the other side of the net, I want to play my game and I know if I am going to win this tournament I have to beat most of the girls.”
Third seed Elena Rybakina, now firmly established in the elite, overcame a slow start and saved three set points to beat former world No 1 Karolina Pliskova 7-6, 6-4.
The 2022 Wimbledon champion, a beaten finalist last year, will face unseeded Russian Anna Blinkova in the second round. “No matter what the result was last year, I’m super happy to be back,” said the Kazakh. “It was very positive for me even though I lost [last year to Aryna Sabalenka].”
The 2021 US Open champion Emma Raducanu had an easier passage through to the second round, overcoming American Shelby Rogers 6-3, 6-2, and will face China’s Wang Yafan next.
There were also wins for Sloane Stephens – another former US Open champion – the Belarusian 18th seed Victoria Azarenka and Russian 14th seed Daria Kasatkina.
In the men’s draw, German sixth seed Alexander Zverev had to come from behind to beat Dominik Koepfer 4-6, 6-3, 7-6, 6-3. “Credit to him because he played fantastic,” Zverev said of his countryman.
“In the beginning I obviously wasn’t playing my best. I had a great tournament at the United Cup, but it’s very different playing at a Grand Slam.
Danish eighth seed Holger Rune came through 6-2, 4-6, 7-6, 6-4 against Japan’s Yoshihito Nishioka while 11th seed Casper Ruud and Britain’s Cameron Norrie also progressed, beating Albert Ramos-Vinolas and Juan Pablo Varillas, respectively, in straight sets.
Veteran Grigor Dimitrov, who ended a six-year title drought in Brisbane this month, recovered from a rocky start to get the better of Marton Fucsovics 4-6, 6-3, 7-6, 6-2.