"Iga Swiatek has been head and shoulders above everyone else" - Andy Roddick
Former World No. 1 Andy Roddick heaped praise on Iga Swiatek, saying the Pole has been "head and shoulders above everyone else" on the women's circuit in recent weeks.
Swiatek is on an incredible 14-match winning streak. She won back-to-back WTA 1000 titles in Qatar and Indian Wells, and is on course to lift the trophy in Miami, where she's reached the quarterfinals without dropping a set. The Pole will also become the new World No. 1 when the rankings are updated next week.
Appearing on the Tennis Channel, Andy Roddick said Swiatek had taken her game to a whole new level in recent weeks.
"I think Swiatek has been head and shoulders above everyone else. We can't delete the last year of tennis, you know, you are what your ranking says you are and Osaka is not in the top 70 right now, Swiatek is No. 1 in the world. She is playing so well, I am watching her match, and any point she loses, she is instantly disappointed and it's not in an arrogant way, it's just that her expectation level is so high," Roddick said.
The American said Swiatek had elevated her game to such a level that she was making other players look silly.
"She's not making random errors and she's making the rest of the players look dumb because she just says 'Hey, I'm gonna be a bit more aggressive' and it's almost like she spoke it into existence. That is normally an adjustment that takes time, she's doing it right away and doing it incredibly well," Roddick said.
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Iga Swiatek on course to complete Sunshine Double
Having won the BNP Paribas Open in Indian Wells earlier this month, Iga Swiatek can complete the Sunshine Double by triumphing at the Miami Open. Only three women have completed the Indian Wells-Miami double -- Steffi Graf, Kim Clijsters and Victoria Azarenka.
The Pole has beaten Viktorija Golubic, Madison Brengle and Coco Gauff en route to the quarterfinals, where she will take on 28th seed Petra Kvitova. If she defeats the Czech, she will face either fifth seed Paula Badosa or Jessica Pegula in the semifinals.