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 expertise in her 6-1, 6-1 sweep of Sorana Cirstea on the Qatar Open in the present day.
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 mentioned enjoying her greatest tennis is a balancing act.
Large timing and athleticism permit Swiatek to step into the courtroom, take the ball on rise and play attacking tennis.
On the identical time, Swiatek’s distinctive velocity and courtroom protection and her potential 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 occasions the place I really feel, yeah, like, I am enjoying typically even too aggressively,” Swiatek instructed the media in Doha. “So I am nonetheless studying easy methods to steadiness that to make use of all these benefits that, you already know, being an amazing protection participant and having this, you already know, potential to play excessive topspin and the balls which might be going to push my opponent farther from the baseline and then again with the ability to typically go ahead and play extra flat.”
The world No. 1 is celebrating her ninetieth week on the prime of the rankings.
Making use of her all-court expertise on the proper time is one thing Swiatek says she’s nonetheless studying to handle. Working with coach Thomasz Wiktorowski, Swiatek mentioned it is about unlocking the suitable techniques for the opponent, floor and match situations at hand.
“I really feel like I can do each, however I really feel like I nonetheless have to be taught, you already know, easy methods to handle it one of the best ways and decide the suitable options and proper tournaments and proper surfaces,” Swiatek mentioned. “However my coach is absolutely sensible and he has a superb 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’ crimson clay, however the 2022 US Open champion has gained 10 of her 17 titles on onerous courtroom.
This week, Swiatek is bidding to turn into the primary girl to three-peat as champion on the Tour-level since Serena Williams gained three consecutive Miami Open crowns from 2013-2015.
Picture credit score: Robert Prange/Getty
#Balancing #Act