Iga Swiatek overcomes second-set wobble to beat Danka Kovinic and progress to fourth round at French Open

ByEurosport

Updated 28/05/2022 at 16:00 GMT

World No. 1 Iga Swiatek collected a 31st win in a row when she beat Danka Kovinic 6-3 7-5 first up on Court Philippe-Chatrier. The 2020 French Open champion is yet to drop a set at Roland-Garros this year, beating Lesia Tsurenko and Alison Riske in earlier rounds. Stream the 2022 French Open live and on-demand on discovery+

Watch as Swiatek blasts shot so good her opponent can only stand and applaud

Iga Swiatek overcame a second-set wobble to beat Danka Kovinic 6-3 7-5 to progress to the fourth round of the French Open.

The Polish superstar looked set for serene progression after sealing the first set 6-3 and then leading 4-1 in the second. However, Kovinic secured two breaks of her own in the second to lead 5-4 to put herself on the cusp of forcing a decider.

The world No. 1's forehand was what was causing her the most trouble, as the stroke led to 17 of her 23 unforced errors.

Tennis

Swiatek hits 100 weeks as No. 1 - how much longer will run continue?

22/04/2024 at 08:37

But she was able to show her mettle and secure a decisive break in the 11th game of the second set, before serving it out.

"She did a pretty good job of defending and giving back at full speed," said Swiatek about Kovinic.

"She was serving really precisely - it was a little tricky but I have played with some heavy hitters already but it was pretty hard to adjust at the beginning.

Highlights: Swiatek battles past Kovinic in straight sets to reach fourth round

"I wanted to play really aggressively but sometimes I feel I was putting too much power and it was hard to control it. I needed to play with a little less risk and be more consistent,

"I feel like I can play more fearlessly but today I lost both the breaks. But playing well at the beginning is putting pressure on my opponents, which is important."

It was clear that this match-up was a bit tougher for Swiatek, with Eurosport expert Mats Wilander saying she looked "anxious," after the match.

"6-3, 4-1 and then something happened. [It was] maybe her worst match here but she’s [still] winning in two sets," he said.

"She got a great start in the second set 4 -1 and then she relaxed a little bit or lost her concentration. And then the last three games I thought she was back to normal and she wanted to get out of here basically."

The victory means that Swiatek extended her winning streak to 31.

It started back in February and includes titles won in Doha, Indian Wells, Miami, Stuttgart and Rome, making it the fourth-longest of the 21st century.

Swiatek is one of the three top-10 seeds left, and she will face either France's Alize Cornet or China's Zheng Qinwen in tomorrow's fourth round.