Some resignation on the face of Polish Iga Swiatek despite her Wimbledon victory, the 37th in a row this year. Photo SEBASTIEN BOZON / AFP
Iga Swiatek from Poland suffered a lot to bring her streak of victories to 37 by beating Dutchman Lesley Pattinama Kerkhove 6-4, 4-6 and 6-3. The world number one lost her first set of the tournament and had a tough time early in the third set, against a player who entered the main draw at Wimbledon as a “lucky loser”.
Pattinama Kerkhove, number 138 in the world, shook the game of the Pole, very serious and focused aware of the danger she was in, forcing her to play the first third set she had from the round of 16 at Roland Garros. Swiatek’s 31 unforced errors were her big disadvantage against a Dutchwoman who lacked the power to get more winners who would have drawn the match.
But the unstoppable Swiatek, who has won his last six tournaments – including the recent Roland Garros – and suffered a slip that left spectators breathless after losing the second set, found his powerful game in the third set. to win and draw. Martina Hingis’ record of consecutive victories, which she treasured since 1997.
Now, the Pole is already ahead of Monica Seles’ 36 wins and still has big challenges to win: Chris Evert’s 55 wins, Margaret Court’s 57, Steffi Graf’s 66 and Martina Navratilova’s 74. The big question is whether she will be able to play unpredictable women’s tennis.
For now on Saturday she will face French Alizé Cornet, number 37 in the world ranking, in the third round and is the big favorite to be the Wimbledon champion in the absence of the reigning champion, the Australian Ashleigh Barty, already retired.
Additionally, since he was eliminated in the second round in Dubai in February, Swiatek has not lost a match, adding titles on hardcourt in Doha, Indian Wells and Miami, and then on clay in Stuttgart, Rome, Madrid and Paris. “The legends are Venus and Serena, not me,” he said upon his arrival in London. However, the 21-year-old tennis player is starting to print him among the best.
His rival, meanwhile, has just beaten the American Claire Liu with a double 6-3 and will face the Pole for the first time. The most recent recognition of him isn’t for a win though: Cornet was the one who discovered the alleged covid epidemic at Roland Garros, although he later retracted it and assured that it was just rumors.
With information from AFP and EFE
Source: Clarin
