French Open: It’s No Fantasy – Iga Swiatek Is The Best - UBITENNIS
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French Open: It’s No Fantasy – Iga Swiatek Is The Best

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How did Iga Swiatek get so good?

There’s no question that she’s the best player in women’s tennis.

Six years ago, she was among the forgotten ones on the WTA Tour. She played mostly ITF tournaments.

There she was in 2018, ranked No. 412 in the world and needing to win three matches in qualifying to make the main draw of an $80K ITF event at Ben Navarro’s LTP Tennis complex in Mount Pleasant S.C.

FROM 412 TO NUMBER ONE – A FANTASY?

A win by Swiatek over hometown hero Emma Navarro didn’t mean much in those days. Navarro was still in high school, and Swiatek was only 17 years old herself.

Swiatek won two other matches to earn a bout against Madison Brengle in the LTP semifinals, winning only two games.

The small crowd at LTP Tennis that day couldn’t have dreamed that the No. 412 player in the world one day would become the best player in the women’s game. And certainly not a fixture atop the WTA rankings.

But that’s Swiatek.

BECOMING A FIXTURE AT THE TOP?

Swiatek is the winner of her last 18 matches, and apparently headed to her third straight French Open final and looking for a fourth French Open title in five years on Saturday morning against little-known Italian 28-year-old Jasmine Paolini.

Swiatek already owns four Grand Slam titles and has won her last 20 matches at Roland Garros.

Iga is almost in a league by herself after dominating 21-year-old Coco Gauff, 6-2, 6-4, in Thursday’s French semifinals. After all, Gauff had been expected to become women’s tennis’  next great champion any day.

Who would have believed that Swiatek could become such an impressive power player? The Polish star actually matched every serve that Gauff hit her way, keeping pace with the athletic Gauff in powerful serving and hard hitting.

ALL ABOUT THE FOOTWORK

Swiatek took the game one step farther after making a couple of changes to her game. She out-hit and out-served Gauff. Swiatek kept pace with everything Gauff threw her way.

It’s all about her precision footwork, quite possibly the best in women’s tennis.

Just another 5-9, 23-year-old young woman who looks like just another teacher or professional in the business world? No way.

Oh, yes, she does mean business when she takes the tennis court.

Swiatek is simply amazing. Her quickness, near-perfect serves and precision ground strokes all together are unmatched on the tour. She may be the quickest player on the tour in turning defense to offense.

And she plays every point the same way, whether winning big or just winning.

James Beck was the 2003 winner of the USTA National Media Award  for print media. A 1995 MBA graduate of The Citadel, he can be reached at Jamesbecktennis@gmail.com. 

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Danil Medvedev rallies from one set down to beat Alexander Muller at Wimbledon

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Danil Medvedev rallied from a set a break down to beat Alexander Muller 6-7 (3-7) 7-6 (7-4) 6-4 7-5 on Centre Court at Wimbledon. 

Both players were not able to break in the first set, which went on serve en route to the tie-break. Muller rallied from 0-2 down to win the tie-break 7-3 with three mini-breaks. 

Muller raced out to a a 3-0 lead in the second set. Medvedev broke back in the fifth game and held serve to 3-3. Muller earned two set points at 5-4 and 6-5, but Medvedev held his service games. Medvedev came back from 0-3 down to win the win the tie-break 7-4 with two mini-breaks.  

Medvedev went up a 4-1 lead in the third set. Muller pulled back on serve to draw level to 4-4. The Frenchman won his fifth consecutive game with a second break to close out the third set 6-4.

Both players went on serve in the fourth game until the 12th game when Medvedev earned the decisive break, when Muller made a double fault on the match point. 

“I did not play my best match. For whatever reason it feels much slower. Really slow bounce, not like a grass court where it normally slides. I need to get used to it. The more matches I play on it, the more chances I have to play better and better”, said Medvedev. 

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Qualifier Sonay Kartal Delights Home Fans At Wimbledon With Stunning Win

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Image via https://x.com/the_LTA

Underdog Sonay Kartal has recorded one of the biggest victories of her career after defeating a player ranked more than 200 places higher than her to reach the third round. 

Kartal, who had to come through three rounds of qualifying to make the main draw, produced a shock 6-3, 5-7, 6-3, win over top 50 player Clara Burel. The 22-year-old is making only her third appearance in the main draw of a Grand Slam event and had never won a match until this week. Against Burel, she weathered the storm before going on to win five out of the last six games played. 

“Today is a really special day for me. To have people out there who have been with me since I was six. Monday was a high and now I have topped that today,” the Brit said afterwards.

“I just tried to put everything behind me. When I needed the crowd the most they helped me in that third set. I owe that to you guys today.”

It is only the second time in the Open era that a British woman has reached the third round of Wimbledon as a qualifier. The first to do so was Karen Cross in 1997. 

Kartel has shown glimpses of her talent already this season but on the lower-level ITF Tour where she has won a trio of W35 titles. However, she has also been affected by injury during her career, as well as a health scare earlier this season.

“I had a tough start to the year, I didn’t know what I would be doing this year,” Kartel reflected.  
“To come back in and go straight into the deep end, and have my biggest wins so far since recovering, I’m super proud of that.”

Her reward will be a showdown against second seed Coco Gauff in the next round, who won her latest match in straight sets. She has defeated only two top 50 players but both of those were in this tournament. However, facing the reigning US Open champion will be another level. 

“It’s going to be a tough match, it’s going to be a fun match and I hope I can do the British crowd proud.” She admits. 

Meanwhile, Gauff is not underestimating her upcoming opponent when they lock horns on Friday. 

“It will be tough to face a Brit, especially on grass. I think that they always do well, but especially in this environment.” She said. 

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Alexander Zverev beats Roberto Carballes Baena to reach the second round at Wimbledon

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Alexander Zverev cruised past Roberto Carballes Baena 6-2 6-4 6-2 in 1 hour and 53 minutes under the closed roof of Court one to reach the second round for the seventh time in his eight appearances at Wimbledon. Zverev hit 46 winners, including 18 aces. 

Carballes Baena saved three break points in the first game of the match to hold serve. Zverev broke serve in the fifth game to take a 3-2 lead, when Carballes Baena sent a backhand long. Zverev broke for the second time in the seventh game before closing out the first set in in little more than 30 minutes. 

Zverev broke serve in the fifth game to take a 3-2 lead. Carballes Baena saved two set points, as he was serving to stay in the match. Zverev served out the second set on his first set point. 

Zverev broke in the first game of the third set. The German player saved three break points to hold serve in the second game. The 2021 Olympic champion broke for the second time in the seventh game and saved out the win on his first match point after saving a set point. 

Zverev has improved his record to 12-2 in Grand Slam matches this  season after reaching the semifinal at Roland Garros and the final at Roland Garros.

Zverev set up a second round match against either Marcos Giron and Henry Searle. 

“I have struggled over the years on these beautiful courts, but I feel different this year, somehow much more into it and more alive on these courts. Hopefully I can show that in the next few matches. For some reason, very early in my career I decided that I hate grass courts, then for some reason I decided that I love them”, said Zverev. 

Argentine Francisco Comesana upset Andrey Rublev 6-4 5-7 6-2 7-6 (7-5) in just his second grass court match.

Comesana broke serve in the fifth game to take a 3-2 lead and served out the first set on his fourth set point. Rublev converted his third break point in the second game to open up a 3-0 lead. Comesana broke back in the fifth game and held serve in the sixth game to draw level to 3-3. The Argentine player saved three set points in the 10th game. Rublev converted his third break point in the 12th game to win the second set 7-5. 

Comesana broke twice in the third and fifth games to open up a 5-1 lead and served out the third set with a hold at 30. 

The fourth set went on serve en route to the tie-break. Comesana earned a mini-break to take a 3-2 lead. Rublev pulled back on serve to draw level to 5-5. Comesana served out the win with his second mini-break. 

Comesana set up a second round match against Australia’s Adam Walton, who beat Federico Coria 6-3 6-3 7-5. 

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