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By Richard Pagliaro | Tuesday, August 30, 2022

 
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Iga Swiatek stormed through seven straight games in a 6-3, 6-0 dismissal of Jasmine Paolini to power into the US Open second round. .

Photo credit: Getty

Creativity comes to court every time Iga Swiatek competes.

Today, Swiatek unleashed imposing ingenuity on Louis Armstrong Stadium.

More: Carlos Alcaraz Q&A

World No. 1 Swiatek stormed through seven straight games in a 6-3, 6-0 dismissal of Jasmine Paolini to power into the US Open second round.

"Well, for sure I'm pretty happy with the performance, and I feel like I have better rhythm than in Toronto and Cincinnati so that's great," Swiatek told the media at the US Open. "I'm trying to enjoy that. For sure in first set at the beginning, you know, I played pretty solid game, but I needed to take it up to another level.

"I did that at the end and in second set, so I'm pretty proud of that."




Two-time Roland Garros champion Swiatek ravaged the 5'4" Italian's serve converting seven of nine break points and breaking in Paolini's final seven service games of the match.

It's been a topsy-turvy summer for Swiatek, who rolled through a 37-match winning streak and six straight titles earlier this season.

More recently, Swiatek conceded she's struggled adapting to the North American hard-court conditions.

The top-seeded Swiatek had lost four of her last eight matches entering the Flushing Meadows first round. Swiatek lost to world No. 24 Beatriz Haddad Maia in Toronto then bowed to No. 24 Madison Keys in the Cincinnati round of 16. Festering frustration erupted as Swiatek blasted the Wilson US Open ball as "horrible."

The US Open is the only tournament that uses two different balls for men's and women's singles, the Wilson US Open ball, and Swiatek was not pleased with the ball in Cincinnati.

“In 2019 I played four tournaments: Washington Toronto, Cincinnati, US Open. Washington it was Penn. Toronto it was US Open. Cincinnati, Penn again. US Open, obviously US Open,” Swiatek said. “But this year it changed, so at least we are consistent right now. But still, I think those balls are horrible, especially after like three games of really hard playing, they are getting more and more light.

"At the end, you can't even, you know, serve like 170 kilometers per hour because you know it's going to fly like crazy. Yeah, I think they are pretty bad. Sorry.”

Following today's opening-round win, Swiatek said she's tried to accept both the ball and steamy conditions in New York City.

Tennis Express

"For sure I'm closer to accepting than on two previous tournaments, so that's pretty nice," Swiatek said. "I know the conditions are tough, but also just, you know, US Open being like fourth Grand Slam of the season, you can see that this season is kind of, yeah, we already played for like eight months.

"So I think that you can feel like more frustration. But honestly, it's much, much better for me, because I did like hard work to really chill out. Right now it's much better, yeah. But I'm also trying."

The effort level will be vial for Swiatek in round two when she faces 2017 US Open champion Sloane Stephens in a rematch of the Cincinnati third round, which Swiatek won 6-4, 7-5. 

World No. 51 Stephens stopped Greet Minnen, 1-6, 6-3, 6-3. Stephens 


 

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