Iga Swiatek recalls intense clash with Australian Open foe

James Richardson
January 14, 2023

World No 1 Iga Swiatek hopes the experience of downing Germany’s Jule Niemeier at the US Open will stand her in good stead in Melbourne.

Swiatek is set for a first round meeting with the big-serving German and recalled their intense battle at the US Open.

The Pole had to rally from a set down to win 2-6, 6-4, 6-0 in their Round of 16 match at Flushing Meadows.

Knowing what to expect is one thing but Swiatek will need to be on her game to get past the World No 68.

“You saw how intense that match was, how tough,” Swiatek said.

“It’s not going to be easy. But on the other hand, any match at a Grand Slam is always more intense and more stressful than other tournaments. I’ll be ready for it.

“It’s nice also that we played not so long ago, so I can take a lot from that match. Now I know how her ball feels on the racquet. But she has the same.

“So we’ll see.”

Swiatek expects the chasing pack at the top of the women’s game to close her down this season.

She hopes that being consistent will allow her to stay at the top for a long time.

“I would say the differences are going to be smaller,” Swiatek said. “I think it’s normal because when you get to the point where your ball is pretty fast, it’s not like you can make it even faster because you’re going to kind of lose control. There are kind of limits in terms of that.

“For me, it’s all about staying kind of solid and actually not changing a lot. It worked, so why would I change a lot?”

“[If you look at] the greatest players that are consistent throughout their whole careers, it’s not like Novak changed a lot in his game since a few years ago. I think it matters to be able to just be consistent with the best game you have.”

How to watch: Iga Swiatek vs Jule Niemeier

Swiatek and Niemeier will take to the Rod Laver Arena Court no earlier than 08:00 GMT on Monday 16 January 2023.

Nine’s Wide World of Sport is the host broadcaster while Stan Sport will also air the tournament.

Eurosport has the exclusive rights to broadcast the Australian Open in the United Kingdom and Ireland as well as the rest of Europe.

ESPN, TNS and RDS cover the event for North America. Meanwhile, ESPN International provides coverage in Latin America, BeIn Sport has the rights in the Middle East while SuperSport has the rights in Africa. CCTV, WOWOW and Digicel cover Asia.

BBC Radio and Gold 104.3 are among the radio broadcast partners of the Australian Open.

Iga Swiatek