Iga Swiatek closing in on remarkable record after yet another dominant win
Iga Swiatek’s remarkable ability to power to 6-0 sets continues to send shivers through her opponents and she added another notch to her record as she beat Dayana Yastremska in Indian Wells.
World No 2 Swiatek sealed a 6-0 6-2 win to cruise into the last 16, with her latest perfect set seeing her close in on the record for the most ‘bagels’ collected at a WTA 1000 tournament.
Swiatek has now equalled Caroline Wozniacki (31) for the second-most 6-0 sets of any player at the premier WTA Tour events, trailing only Victoria Azarenka (33) since the format’s introduction in 2009.
Her ability to crush her rivals shows no sign of waning and when asked to summed up her mood after this latest victory, Swiatek was in bullish mood.
“Well, for sure I’m happy with how it went,” she told reporters in Indian Wells.
“I was pretty confident from the beginning. I just kept doing my thing, and I’m happy that I could close it in such a confident way.
“I know that I’m in a good place and I’m going the right way. So I feel pretty pumped up.
“On the other hand, you know, calm, because I don’t feel that I’m threatened. But I need to go and be aware in the second set that it can all change. Like, second set is a different story.
“We start from zero kind of again, so the other player can also get their level up.”
Swiatek is a two-time winner in Indian Wells and even though the court surface has changed this year, she is relishing the chance to push for a third title in California.
“I just know for sure the surface helps, but it’s not the only thing,” she added.
“You still need to do the job. I’ve always been pretty focused here and also accepting the mistakes that are gonna happen this dry air, you know.
“I always had time before to do solid work. It wasn’t like I was rushed anywhere. Sometimes in these one-week tournaments, there is no time to practice, for example. But here I always have that. I know I just feel comfortable and I found my rhythm also off the court to recover well.”
More Tennis News
Iga Swiatek eyes Indian Wells Open record as she aims for unique hat-trick
The 5 women to win a WTA final 6-0, 6-0 since 2000: Emma Navarro matches Iga Swiatek
Swiatek takes an aura on court with her that sends a shiver of fear down the spine of her opponents, with British player Jodie Burrgage highlighting that mindset when she spoke to Tennis365 last December.
“Iga (Swiatek) scares me. The way she bagels people, it scares me,” Burrage told Tennis365, referencing her stunning record for winning sets 6-0.
“I watch a lot of tennis now and that is something that has changed for me in recent years. I think it helps when you see what those guys do and how they play.
“So when I played Sabalenka at the US Open, it helped that I had watched her play a lot and knew what she would do.
“When I played against Sabalenka in the second round of the US Open last year, I really wasn’t happy with how I played, but it was still only 6-3 6-2.
“I had a few break point chances and other opportunities. I wasn’t happy about how I hit my forehand in that match and yet I still managed to win games and create chances, but these top players are different gravy.”
READ NEXT: Iga Swiatek’s 6-0 scores broken down by tennis category: WTA 1000 level No 2
