Iga Swiatek, who is a six-time Grand Slam champion, produced a masterclass performance on Thursday, blasting through Marie Bouzkova to win her way through to the Australian Open third round.
The Polish second seed is continuing her search for a maiden Melbourne title and is looking sharper with each match.
Cruising to victory
Under the lights of John Cain Arena, Swiatek appeared to be in full command over her Czech opponent. With a roaring crowd cheering for her, she won by a comfortable margin of 6-2, 6-3. This win sets up a third round match with Russian world number 33 Anna Kalinskaya, who thrashing Austria’s Julia Grabher in straight sets.
“I had a great feeling playing today,” Swiatek said after the match. “I felt more of a freedom than in the first round and I felt like just wanting to go for it.” “I’m really happy with the performance, sure enough.”
Despite counting four French Open titles, a US Open and Wimbledon trophy in her cabinet, the Australian Open crown has remained elusive to the 24-year-old with the best finishes coming from two semi-final appearances.
Finding rhythm and dominance
After a slightly shaky beginning to her run in Melbourne (including two United Cup losses and a hard first round match against the qualifier Yuan Yue), Swiatek found her footing in her match against Bouzkova.
She got much tidier with her game, her unforced errors fell to 27 while she fired off an astounding 31 winners.
Although both players had some trouble with their serve early in the first set, Swiatek quickly found her rhythm. The second set was one that saw a bit of wobble after Bouzkova broke to take the lead 3-1, but the Polish star immediately responded. She evened the score at 3-all before breaking critically in a stunning backhand winner for a 5-all lead followed by some dominant serving to finish out the match.
By the numbers
Swiatek’s dominance was reflected in the stats. She won 63 points overall, she had the match’s only three aces, and she had a 71% win rate on her first serve. While she made more unforced errors than Bouzkova, her aggressive play paid dividends converting 5 out of 8 break points.
This victory is also a historic milestone in the following sense. According to wta, Swiatek is the first female to advance to the Round of 32 out of the first 24 Grand Slam events in the Open Era in a decade. She now holds a 24-7 record at the Australian Open and a great 106-21 record in all the Majors.
Next up, she faces 31st seed, Anna Kalinskaya, in the third round with a 2-1 lead in their head to head series.
Saurabh is a passionate tennis content writer and lifelong fan of the game. Whether it’s Grand Slam showdowns or under-the-radar rising stars, Saurabh brings the court to life with sharp analysis, breaking news, and deep-dive features. When they aren’t covering matches, you can find them practicing their topspin forehand or debating who is the GOAT over coffee. Do you enjoy tennis? Then you are in the right place.
