"I would take her versus the field" - Andy Roddick on Iga Swiatek's Roland Garros chances after winning Rome
Former World No. 1 Andy Roddick has said that Iga Swiatek will be an overwhelming favorite at Roland Garros this year.
Swiatek, 20, extended her winning streak to 28 matches after beating Ons Jabeur 6-2, 6-2 in a lopsided Rome Masters final on Sunday to win her fifth title of the year. The world's top-ranked player didn't drop a set at the Foro Italico this week as she successfully defended a title for the first time in her career.
During an interaction on Tennis Channel Live, Roddick said that Swiatek's blistering form makes her the runaway favorite for the title at the French Open, like Rafael Nadal usually is.
"Swiatek, I would take her versus the field and then some," he said. "In a lot of ways, she feels like Rafa (Nadal) felt a lot of years out there."
Roddick also said that Jabeur could be a contender in Paris.
"Ons Jabeur has played herself into that conversation. Oddsmakers have given Simona Halep (a chance too), even though she hasn't made a deep run at any of these claycourt events," he added.
Iga Swiatek's 2022 campaign thus far
Iga Swiatek has been on a role this season. After a second-round third-set tie-break defeat to Jelena Ostapenko in Dubai, the 22-year-old hadn't lost in 27 matches coming into her Rome final against Ons Jabeur.
The Tunisian was on a hot streak of her own, winning 11 straight matches, including the Madrid title last week, to make the title match at the Foro Italico. However, Swiatek paid scant respect to that, starting like a house on fire and not allowing her in-form rival a way back into the contest.
She dropped only two games in each set to romp to her fifth title of the year and her fourth WTA1000 title, following triumphs in Doha, Indian Wells and Miami.
back-to-back title wins in Rome for @iga_swiatek!
πππΌππΌππ! πΎππ₯
2οΈβ£ back-to-back title wins in Rome for @iga_swiatek!
Swiatek-Jabeur 6-2 6-2
#IBI22 | #tennis | #Swiatek https://t.co/rksZ4mda2D
Such has been the Pole's recent dominance that she has dropped only one set - Liudmila Samsonova (Stuttgart SF) - in her last 20 matches since the Indian Wells quarterfinals.
After her Stuttgart triumph three weeks ago, she pulled out of Madrid last week due to injury. However, she continued from where she left off in the Italian capital, dropping only 21 games and no more than six in any of her five matches.
Swiatek will now fancy her chances of winning her second Roland Garros title in three weeks time.