Two-time defending champion Iga Swiatek did not lose a game breezing past 2021 Roland Garros champion Anastasya Pavlyuchenkova 6-0 6-0 to reach the third round at the Internazionali BNL d’Italia in Rome.
Swiatek will take on either Bernarda Pera or Lesla Tsurenko in the next match. The Polish player has extended her winning streak to 12 consective matches.
The Pole has become the sixth woman to win 12 consecutive matches or more in Rome joining this exclusive “club” that features tennis legends Chris Evert, Conchita Martinez, Gabriela Sabatini, Maria Sharapova and Serena Williams. Swiatek had already scored a double bagel win against Karolina Pliskova in the final of the Rome WTA 1000 tournament. Swiatek and Evert are the only two players to have posted multiple perfect scorelines in the history of the Rome tournament.
Swiatek hit 19 winners to just 9 unforced errors and converted six of the eleven break points. The Pole fended off the only break point she faced on her serve. Pavlyuchenkova hit seven winner to 19 unforced errors.
Swiatek raced out to a 4-0 lead with a double break. Pavlyuchenkova earned the only break point in the match, but she fired a forehand down the line long and Swiatek held on serve.
Pavlyuchenkova fended off six set points from 0-40 on her serve, as she was 0-5 down, but Swiatek broke serve for the third time to score her ninth bagel set of the season. Swiatek broke for the third time in the sixth game to close out the win on her first match point after 67 minutes.
Kenin upsets Sabalenka in straight sets
Sofia Kenin upset this year’s Australian Open champion Aryna Sabalenka 7-6 (7-4) 6-2 in 1 hour and 38 minutes to earn her first win against a top 10 player since the 2020 Australian Open, when she beat then world number 1 Ashleigh Barty. The US player won her first match in Rome since 2019.
Kenin won her first match in her three head-to-head matches against Sabalenka, who had beaten her US rival in two hard court matches in 2018.
“With this win, it just gives me more confidence, and hopefully I can use that to my advantage for my next round”, said Kenin.
Sabalenka came back from a break down twice in the first set, including at 6-5 when Kenin served for the set. Kenin hit a backhand crosscourt winner to open up a 3-0 lead. Sabalenka fended off Kenin’s first three set points at 6-1 in the tie-break. Kenin sealed the tie-break at 6-4 after Sabalenka hit a forehand into the net.
Kenin earned a break in the sixth game to take a 4-2 lead and converted her first match point with a winner into the corner.
Kenin set up a third round match against Anhelina Kalinina, who breezed past Anna Blinkova 6-2 6-2. Kenin leads 4-2 in her six previous head-to-head matches against Kalinina.
“Obviously I am super happy. I played really well. Of course she has had some great results, great year, so of course going into the match, there is not much pressure on my side. I tried to use that to my advantage, and I felt like an underdog coming in, I tried to take it to her, do my best. I tried to bring my A-game in order to win”, said Kenin.
