Paris: Women’s world No.1 Iga Swiatek opened her title defence at the French Open on Monday with a trademark performance, romping to a straight sets victory against local qualifier Leolia Jeanjean on Court Philippe-Chatrier in the French capital.
Swiatek surged to a 6-1, 6-2 victory in quick time, thus registering her 15th consecutive win in the French Open, improving her first-round record at Roland Garros to 6-0. She is the first woman to win 15 consecutive matches at the French Open since Justine Henin, who took 24 consecutive matches between 2005-10.
The 22-year-old Swiatek broke in the very first game of the match with a dominant game, pinning Jeanjean to the back of the court with precise returns as the Pole capped it off by crushing a forehand return winner to glance the left tramline.
Break point down at 3-1, Swiatek launched left and swatted a winner to reassert her dominance. She went on to win the first set 6-1 without breaking much sweat.
Into the second set and Jeanjean chalked up her own immediate break. But Swiatek fought right back and regained the initiative. Though she won easily hitting twenty-six winners, what would not please Swiatek a bit is the 18 unforced errors she served on Monday.
Swiatek arrived at Roland-Garros on a 12-match winning streak off the back of collecting WTA 1000 titles in Madrid and Rome.
Swiatek, the four-time Grand Slam singles champion, will not take on another four-time Grand Slam singles winner in the field — Naomi Osaka of Japan in a widely anticipated encounter.
–IANS
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