In her initial 2019 World Tennis Association (WTA) tour, Iga Świątek came to face Naomi Osaka during an early key tournament held in Toronto. At the time, Osaka was at peak performance and ruled the court, while Świątek was just an 18-year-old newcomer. These two women duelled on par with each other, yet Osaka scraped a victory. Both left the court acknowledging their newfound competition and mutual respect.
Fast-forward five years and much has transpired, but on a Wednesday night, their dormant rivalry rekindled on one of the grandest tennis platforms globally, Paris. In this ensuing match, Osaka, now the underdog, put on an exceptional performance and was a mere point shy of an extraordinary upset. However, Świątek showcased her premier resilience, making a comeback that catapulted her into the French Open’s third round with an awe-inspiring 7-6 (1), 1-6, 7-5 triumph.
Świątek commented on the intensity of the second-round skirmish, lauding Naomi’s spectacular gameplay, full of bold risks. She expressed joy for Naomi’s return to form and her potential as a clay court specialist. Her win keeps Świątek on track for a potential third sequential French Open victory, and a fourth one overall.
She has solidified her reputation for annihilating her adversaries, but being world No 1, Świątek also demonstrates tremendous resilience and mental toughness in the sport. Her remarkable flexibility was on display three weeks ago when she vanquished Aryna Sabalenka in the Madrid Open final despite facing three match points.
From their initial clash, Świątek has positioned herself amongst the sport’s vanguard, matching Osaka with four grand slam titles and asserting her dominant status. While Osaka has been easing back into the game and is currently ranked 134th, Świątek proudly stands as the world’s number one player with a lead of over 3500 points, she also claimed victory in both Madrid and Rome tournaments leading up to Roland Garros.
Even though the second-round win of the two most triumphant players in the women’s game was much-anticipated, most did not foresee Osaka posing such a major challenge to Świątek under their current standings.
From the outset, it was evident that Osaka entered Court Philippe-Chatrier ready for a fight. Even though Swiatek dominated Osaka’s secondary serve and exploited her unfamiliarity with clay using her spin and angles, the Japanese tennis player remained composed and accelerated her onslaught on the ball, while fiercely targeting Swiatek’s forehand and maintaining a consistent serve above 115mph.
Before long, tension began to afflict Swiatek, her mistakes rapidly multiplying, as Osaka regained her break and set point was in sight on her own serve. However, with set point looming at 4-5, Swiatek rallied, locked down her defences, and clinched the set in a lop-sided tie-break.
Osaka didn’t let the disappointment from the first round affect her, instead growing in stature as the match progressed. Her primary serve gained more accuracy, and with rising confidence, she began her powerful forehand shots earlier in the rally. As Swiatek’s mistakes piled up, Osaka dominated the second set and built a strong lead in the final one, with the score at 5-2 and 0-30 on Swiatek’s serve.
Yet, as the taste of victory neared, Osaka faltered. With match point at Ad-40 on her own serve, Swiatek parried the threat with an excellent angled backhand return, recovering the break.
Despite being on the brink of defeat, Swiatek refused to surrender any easy points. With a slow but steady pace, she turned the tide of the match, securing the last five games to win.
In her post-match interview, Swiatek voiced her dissatisfaction with the crowd’s behaviour. She lamented the difficulty of staying focused when the crowd would shout out during a rally or before a return. While she doesn’t usually raise the issue as she aims to remain centred during a match, she emphasised the seriousness of the game for players who dedicate their lives to improving.
While the comeback of Osaka, post-maternity leave, ended in disappointment, she acknowledged in her interaction with the press the notable advancements she had accomplished. She remains hopeful for future progress.
Shedding tears upon leaving the court was a poignant moment, but it was then she remembered watching Iga win the championship the previous year, all while she was expecting,” she expressed. Her aspiration had always been to compete against her. Viewing it from that perspective, she felt she was doing fairly alright. She was also making an effort to not be overly critical of herself. She remarked that she had the privilege of competing against her on her favoured ground, however, she is more comfortable playing on hard court. She expressed eagerness to challenge her on her preferred turf to see the consequences. -Guardian