May 26, (THEWILL) – Iga Swiatek extended her winning streak to 30 matches by outrightly defeating Alison Riske 6-0 6-2 in the third round of the French Open in under an hour.
The 20-year-old world number – and tournament favourite – stormed to a three-game lead in the first round, comfortably maintaining her serve before displaying her devastating forehand to take the lead.
Swiatek got a double break in less than 15 minutes of play, as she began to destroy a struggling Riske. Riske put up a good fight and did enough to keep her service game alive, but Swiatek maintained control of the match despite holding on for longer rallies.
In post-match comments, Swiatek said that her approach, which she used to defeat Riske, is growing “better and better” but that she is “still not an expert” likening it to boxing.
“[A boxer-like approach] is not natural,” the Pole said. “It’s been something I’ve been working on since I started. Just being focussed and wanting to put pressure on my opponent is good because I can [take] initiative and really lead on the court, [which is] what I’m trying to do. Before every match, you need to get pumped up and in the zone, so I’m getting better and better at it, but I’m still not an expert.”
Jude Obafemi is a versatile senior Correspondent at THEWILL Newspapers, excelling in sourcing, researching, and delivering sports news stories for both print and digital publications.
