Paris – Iga Swiatek took a big step in search of a record fourth French open title and a fifth overall record when he defeated Elena Rybakina 1-6, 6-3, 7-5 on Sunday.
This year, he struggled with top form and the final final was held at Roland Garos 12 months ago, Swiatek was trailed 2-0 with a set, but found the game when he needed most to advance to the quarterfinals playing Ukrainian Elina Svitolina.
How did she do that and what does that mean to her? Three takeaways from potentially important victory.
Swiatek found her serve
Former Wimbledon champion and winner at Strasbourg on the eve of the French opening, Rivakina was on fire in the first set, blowing up 12 winners and putting Swiatek under constant pressure. Swiatek’s biggest problem was her serve. She’s fine-tuned under the guidance of her coach Wim Fissette, which is her gaming realm, but she’s struggling all the way through the clay court season.
With the first five games slipping down in just over 20 minutes, Swiatek was well below 50% in his first serve and when he needed to hit a second, she only won 20% of the points. She at the end of the set made the boat a little more stable and at least got on the board, but her serve had disappointed her. In the second set, she took a little pace, got more angles, used more body serves, and as Rivakina’s levels immersed slightly, Swiatek returned to the match.
Finally, she went to 57% and with Rybakina under 50, she had time to get into the points and turn the match around.
Swiatek stayed patient and increased the spin
This spring, with her well-documented struggle, the wheels were out of the Swiatek game when she was in trouble. But this time, there were occasional tweets to her team, but she was calm enough to think clearly and changed things.
Standing a little deeper on the return, she was able to enter the point with Rivakina’s serve and used her cross-court forehand to make a great effect, pulling her opponent out of court.
For the second time, 2-2, she survived three straight double faults in the Advertising Court, holding the set for the first time and leading, and since then her confidence has risen.
Even in the 4-4 of the decision set, she became patient when she thought that only the double fault of Rivakina, which was altered by the judge in Mark’s inspection, had been broken. She embraced love in the next game and contributed to the victory by defeating it 6-5.
“The first set felt like I was playing against Jannik Sinner,” she said. “I had to do something to get back to the game, how she played, I didn’t have much hope, but I kept fighting. In the end I was able to play my game, so I was happy.”
What does this mean for Swiatek?
all. It may be necessary to only once to turn a player’s season around, and the blessing of her final forehand when she scored the winner with a double fisting pump gave a combination of joy and relief.
A month ago, this might have been a match that quickly escaped, but this might have been a match where the old regular Swiatek, Firhands ripped with a vicious spin and found solutions if necessary. When Rivakina defeated Jelena Ostapenko, if they met in Paris with Swaitec’s head 6-0 advantage, it looked like a stroke of luck. However, he could be a victory that begins to recover his invincible aura as he defeated Rivakina, who defeated Swaitsk four of the eight times, won the previous meeting at Clay, and played incredible tennis.
The title’s biggest rival came to the event because she felt she was vulnerable, but will attract attention.
