Swiatek remains unbeaten and sets up a doubles rematch with Paolini 1-1

Swiatek faced one of her toughest challenges yet, as the Italian player started strong and took the opening set 6-3. Down a set, the Polish player was forced to fight back. At 3-3, Swiatek got a wake-up call as she made 32 unforced errors compared to Paolini’s 17. Despite squandering several breaks and falling behind 4-2, she held on during the second set as Paolini started to crack under pressure.

The Polish player began corrected her mistakes and managed 35 win points to 24 for her opponent, closing the set 6-4 in her favor. In the third game of the final set, there was a tense back-and-forth for several minutes, but Swiatek held firm, saving multiple break points. The game was for the World’s second seed, as she took a 3-1 lead with precise shots down the line, but the tough Paolini fought her back to 4-4. In the final two games, there were no doubts.

Iga Swiatek won 6-4 after two hours and 36 minutes of great tennis. The two will now face each other in a winner-take-all tie-break. Iga will again be paired with Katarzyna Kawa, a duo that comfortably defeated the Czechs, but they will meet a tough challenge against Olympic gold medallists Paolini and Sara Errani. EFE afl/dgp/mcd