MELBOURNE: Iga Swiatek survived a tough test against former Australian Open champion Sofia Kenin to reach the second round in Melbourne on Tuesday as Carlos Alcaraz prepared to make his bow.
The Polish world number one came through 7-6 (7/2), 6-2 against the player she beat to win her first Grand Slam title, at the French Open in 2020.
In-form Swiatek, 22, twice came back from a break down in a gruelling first set lasting 68 minutes but stepped on the gas in the second set, winning the final five games to finish with a flourish.
The four-time major winner, now on a 17-match winning streak, next faces unseeded American Danielle Collins, who beat former winner Angelique Kerber 6-2, 3-6, 6-1.
“It wasn’t the easiest first round. She played really well. I tried to find my rhythm, especially in the first set,” said the top seed, who owns three Roland Garros crowns and another at the US Open.
“I’m happy at the end of the set I could win the most important points.”
Third seed Elena Rybakina, now firmly established in the elite, overcame a slow start and saved three set points to beat former world number one Karolina Pliskova 7-6 (8/6), 6-4.
The 2022 Wimbledon champion, last year’s beaten finalist, will face unseeded Russian Anna Blinkova in the second round.
“No matter what the result was last year, I’m super happy to be back,” said the cool Kazakh. “It was very positive for me even though I lost (in the 2023 final).”
Emma Raducanu had an easier passage through to the second round, overcoming American Shelby Rogers 6-3, 6-2, and will face China’s Wang Yafan next.
The British player stunned the tennis world when she triumphed at Flushing Meadows in 2021 but her record since then is patchy and she has only just returned from a injury-enforced eight-month break.
There were also wins for former US Open champion Sloane Stephens and American 27th seed Emma Navarro, fresh from her Hobart triumph.
On the men’s side, Danish eighth seed Holger Rune came through in four sets against Japan’s Yoshihito Nishioka while 11th seed Casper Ruud and Britain’s Cameron Norrie also progressed.
Veteran Grigor Dimitrov, who ended a six-year title drought in Brisbane this month, recovered from a rocky start to get the better of Marton Fucsovics in four sets.
Newspakistan.tv/APP/AFP
