Iga Swiatek outplays Daria Kasatkina in key moments to reach fourth round of Australian Open with straight-sets win
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Updated 22/01/2022 at 10:45 GMT
The Polish star stepped up her game in the key moments and saved eight of the nine break points she faced. She is now the only woman to have reached the second week of the last six Grand Slam tournaments. It's the third straight year she's reached the fourth round in Melbourne but she's still looking for her first Australian Open quarter-final.
Wrap Up: Swiatek, Stosur and Tsitsipas in early action
Iga Swiatek is into the second week at the Australian Open for the third straight year after dismantling Daria Kasatkina in straight sets.
In a match featuring a number of long rallies between big hitters, Swiatek outplayed her opponent in the key moments -- saving eight of the nine break points she faced -- to win 6-2, 6-3.
It made the former French Open winner the only woman to have reached the fourth round of the last six Grand Slam tournaments. And in Melbourne, she's done it without dropping a set so far.
Swiatek broke for a decisive 4-2 lead in the second when Kasatkina sent a forehand long and never relinquished the advantage. She went on to clinch the victory on her first match point when the Russian sent a forehand into the net.
“It’s pretty hard to finish Daria. I had to attack a couple of times during one point, and that was really intense,” Swiatek said.
It was only a second career meeting between the two but Swiatek said she planned her strategy for the match by identifying her own weaknesses.
“She has a similar grip to mine and I kind of know what I struggle with sometimes and she can have the same problem because we both play like that,” she said. “I tried to play my balls pretty low so she can’t play her top spins.”
Now the Polish star is looking to reach her first quarter-final in Melbourne after falling in the round of 16 the last two years.
She’ll next face the winner between Sorana Cirstea and Anastasia Pavlyuchenkova. Although Swiatek had no idea who’d she be playing until informed during her on-court interview.
I try not to look at the draw so basically after every match I have to ask someone who I’m playing against.
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