By Richard Pagliaro | @Tennis_Now | Monday, February 12, 2024
Streaking proper, Iga Swiatek flicked a full-stretch forehand to increase the purpose, finally rifling a forehand to finish it.
Defending the sidelines with defiance and delivering declarative strikes from contained in the baseline, Swiatek confirmed very good all-court abilities in her 6-1, 6-1 sweep of Sorana Cirstea on the Qatar Open at the moment.
Two-time defending champion Swiatek scored her ninth straight Doha win in her first match since falling within the Australian Open third spherical final month.
Afterward, Swiatek stated enjoying her greatest tennis is a balancing act.
Great timing and athleticism enable Swiatek to step into the court docket, take the ball on rise and play attacking tennis.
On the identical time, Swiatek’s distinctive pace and court docket protection and her capability to play heavy topspin forehands empower her to play nice protection.
Is Swiatek at her greatest as a point-extender or point-extinguisher?
She believes it is a steadiness of each.
“I’ve instances the place I really feel, yeah, like, I am enjoying generally even too aggressively,” Swiatek advised the media in Doha. “So I am nonetheless studying find out how to steadiness that to make use of all these benefits that, you understand, being an important protection participant and having this, you understand, capability to play excessive topspin and the balls which are going to push my opponent farther from the baseline and however with the ability to generally go ahead and play extra flat.”
The world No. 1 is celebrating her ninetieth week on the high of the rankings.
Making use of her all-court abilities on the proper time is one thing Swiatek says she’s nonetheless studying to handle. Working with coach Thomasz Wiktorowski, Swiatek stated it is about unlocking the precise techniques for the opponent, floor and match circumstances at hand.
“I really feel like I can do each, however I really feel like I nonetheless have to be taught, you understand, find out how to handle it one of the simplest ways and decide the precise options and proper tournaments and proper surfaces,” Swiatek stated. “However my coach is basically good and he has an excellent eye, so he all the time tells me what would be the best choice, in order that’s actually useful.”
Three of Swiatek’s 4 Grand Slam titles have come on Roland Garros’ purple clay, however the 2022 US Open champion has received 10 of her 17 titles on arduous court docket.
This week, Swiatek is bidding to develop into the primary girl to three-peat as champion on the Tour-level since Serena Williams received three consecutive Miami Open crowns from 2013-2015.
Picture credit score: Robert Prange/Getty