"This year I want to go back to being aggressive and being proactive" - Iga Swiatek
Iga Swiatek claimed her maiden win of the year by defeating Daria Saville in a first-round clash at the Adelaide International. Swiatek came through 6-3, 6-3 to register her sixth consecutive victory in Adelaide.
After the match, the Pole acknowledged her attachment with the city, saying it's the "perfect" place to kick off the season.
“I just love this place, because it’s calm, it’s the perfect first tournament to get into the rhythm and to just enjoy being on court,” Swiatek said. “The city is beautiful… I love it here. I know it’s pretty weird ‘resting’ on tournament but I feel like I can recharge here after pre-season, so it’s great," she added.
When asked to give her thoughts on the match, Swiatek said she remained focused throughout, which contributed to her win.
“I think I stayed focused pretty well. And even though at the beginning I wasn’t like completely sure what my tactics should be because it’s first match, I stayed consistent, which was great. And I didn’t change that," Swiatek said.
The World No. 4 is hoping to rediscover her aggressive gameplay this season, which she believes she left behind after entering the top 20.
“When I was an underdog and I was building up my ranking, I was playing [aggressive]. When I reached top 20, I was unsure," Swiatek said. "But this year I want to go back to being aggressive and being proactive,” she added.
Swiatek: “When I was an underdog and I was building up my ranking, I was playing [aggressive]. When I reached Top 20, I was unsure.
"But this year I want to go back to being aggressive and being proactive.”
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Iga Swiatek not unsettled by slow start, believes she can capitalize on momentum created by first-round win
During the first set, Swiatek fell behind by an early break against Saville. But the 20-year-old managed to win three consecutive games to take a 4-2 lead. However, the streak was halted soon after as she dropped serve for the second time in the set, before regaining momentum and ending the set 6-3.
The 2020 Roland Garros champion pointed out that a few setbacks during the first match of the season are nothing to be concerned about.
“I had some ups and downs for sure, because it’s the first match, but I’m feeling pretty good because I’m trying to implement all the tactics that we tried in practice,” Swiatek said.
Swiatek managed to capitalize on the momentum she created by winning the first set and she did not face a single break point during the second set. She is now set to face Canadian youngster Leylah Fernandez in the next round of the tournament.