Iga Swiatek is gathering momentum at the Australian Open after producing a clinical performance to seal her place in the fourth round.
The three-time Grand Slam champion dropped just one game during her 55-minute 6-0, 6-1, annihilation of Spain’s Cristina Bucsa. Swiatek won 73% of the points played in the match, hitting 15 winners and three aces. She hasn’t dropped a set in three matches in Melbourne Park where she beat Jule Niemeier and Maria Camila Osorio earlier in the tournament.
“I feel I’m more and more confident since day one here. I’m not even talking about matches, but also practices. I feel like I’ve done so much work to feel more confident, and more relaxed on court,” Swiatek said during her press conference.
“I’m pretty happy that I did it because it’s just a little bit easier. When you actually played those matches, you can feel the rhythm a little bit more.”
Swiatek has won two out of the last three Grand Slam tournaments played but is yet to reach the final of the Australian Open in her career. Her best result was last year when she made the semi-finals before losing to Danielle Collins. Although, it was just weeks after that the Pole began her domination on the Tour with a 37-match winning streak.
Hoping to end her title drought in Melbourne, Swiatek faces a potentially tricky fourth round clash with Elena Rybakina who stunned the Tour last year when she won the Wimbledon title. Rybakina, who is seeded 22nd in the draw, knocked out Collins 6-2, 5-7, 6-2, in her third round match.
“She really is a solid player. Since we played juniors, I knew that she’s like kind of going in the right direction. With her serve, she can do a lot,” Swiatek commented on her next opponent.
“Tactically I’m not prepared yet. We played an exhibition in Dubai but I really treated it as an exhibition and as a practice little bit. So it’s hard kind of to take a lot from that match.’
“Also we played in Ostrava, like, two years ago, and the surface was so slow that it’s also hard to take anything tactically from that.
“I’m pretty sure my coach is going to be ready to give me some tips.”
There is a two-year difference in age between Swiatek and 23-year-old Rybakina. On the junior Tour, they played each other in the final of the prestigious Trofeo Bonfiglio. A Grade A international event that is annually held on the red clay in Italy. It was a somewhat different situation for both back then.
“I remember I was so stressed that there was live streaming on the Internet, and I just couldn’t focus because of that,” said Swiatek who lost the final in three sets. “It seems surreal right now. I don’t know who is watching me. It’s the Internet. It’s huge.”
Swiatek and Rybakina are two of five Grand Slam champions remaining in this year’s Australian Open women’s draw.
