Wimbledon juniors champion Iga Swiatek has successfully qualified for her first grand slam as she looks to follow Agnieszka Radwanska’s legacy.
The 17 year-old thrashed American Danielle Lao to qualify for her first grand slam main draw of her career in her first time of trying.
A 6-1 6-3 win seals her place in the Australian Open, where she will play Ana Bogdan in the first round. However Swiatek, who won the Girls Singles at Wimbledon six months ago, has been a major talent for a while and its no surprise to many that her rise has been so rapid.
It is clear that the Pole is the first real sign of Agnieszka Radwanska’s legacy in the women’s game, with Magdalena Frech and Magda Linette also looking to push on from Radwanska’s success.
Before her final round qualifying match Swiatek says that she has a long way to go to match Radwanska’s achievements, “Aga will always be the best player in Poland,” Swiatek told WTA journalist Diego Barbiani.
“I mean I would need at least 10 years at the high level to be better than her because she was at the top for many many years. It’s a very long way and I’m not thinking about it to be honest.
“She’s a very good example for all of us. She proved if you have talent and belief in yourself, no matter who you are or where you come from, no matter if your country can’t help you with wildcards, you can still be one of the best one day.”
The Warsaw-born star has a very bright future but of course has a long way to go to fulfil that potential. Swiatek is one of four Polish singles players in the draw, with Magda Linette taking on Naomi Osaka in the first round on the women’s side.
On the men’s side Kamil Majcharzak also qualified with a straight sets win against Mats Moraing and will play eighth seed Kei Nishikori in the first round. Hubert Hurkacz is also in that section of the draw and will play big-serving Ivo Karlovic in the first round.
The world number 85 is currently in the Canberra challenger final where he will play Ilya Ivashka in the final tomorrow.
Here is the full list of the men’s and women’s qualifiers and who they will face in the first round:
Men’s Singles
– Tatsuma Ito v Dan Evans (Q)
– Christopher Eubanks v Nikoloz Basilashvili (19)
– Bjorn Fratangelo v Gilles Simon (29)
– Dan Evans v Tatsuma Ito (Q)
– Henri Laaksonen v Mirza Basic
– Prajnesh Gunneswaran v Frances Tiafoe
– Gleb Sakharov v Maximilian Marterer
– Stefano Travaglia v Guido Andreozzi
– Rudolf Molleker v Diego Schwartzman (18)
– Thanasi Kokkinakis v Taro Daniel
– Lloyd Harris v Daniil Medvedev (15)
– Luca Vanni v Pablo Carreno Busta (23)
– Mitchell Krueger v Novak Djokovic (1)
– Viktor Troicki v Roberto Carballes Baena
– Kamil Majchrzak v Kei Nishikori (8)
– Miomir Kecmanovic v Fernando Verdasco (26)
Women’s Singles
– Astra Sharma v Priscilla Hon (WC)
– Misaki Doi v Madison Brengle
– Viktorija Golubic v Elina Svitolina (6)
– Bianca Andreescu v Whitney Osuigwe (WC)
– Karolina Muchova v Karolina Pliskova (7)
– Iga Swiatek v Ana Bogdan
– Veronika Kudermetova v Sofia Kenin
– Anna Kalinskaya v Aryna Sabalenka (11)
– Paula Badosa Gibert v Kimberly Birrell (WC)
– Harriet Dart v Maria Sharapova (30)
– Lin Zhu v Margarita Gasparyan
– Varvara Lepchenko v Natalia Vikhlyantseva (Q)
– Jessika Ponchet v Caroline Garcia (19)
– Ysaline Bonaventure v Sachia Vickery
– Natalia Vikhlyantseva v Varvara Lepchenko (Q)
– Beatriz Haddad Maia v Bernarda Pera
