PremiumFrench Open 2024: Iga Swiatek gives herself birthday present advancing to round 4
The World No.1, Iga Swiatek met Marie Bouzkova for the first time and proceeded comfortably to the next round
Last Updated: 10.25 PM, May 31, 2024
Swiatek raced ahead in the first set, breaking Bouzkova early, but the latter did not give her the satisfaction of serving out for the set at 5-2. Instead, she broke the World No.1 and then held on to her serve, taking the score to 5-4 with Swiatek serving for the set yet again. Bouzkova tried to stall it, but eventually, Swiatek held on to her serve and the first set at 6-4.
The second set then began with Swiatek determined to close out the match quickly, breaking Bouzkova, twice consecutively, while holding her serve and racing to a 4-0 lead. But Bouzkova was not ready to cave in so easily, holding her serve twice over the next three games. 5-2 and Swiatek was serving for the match; could Bouzkova delay/deny the World No.1 the satisfaction of a straight set win? Well, she went ahead and bravely fought off 3 match points, but Swiatek converted the fourth, in a match lasting an hour and 33 minutes.
Bouzkova’s route to this encounter with Swiatek came after defeating Veronica Kudermetova (6-2 6-4) and Jana Fett (6-2 6-2) in the first and second round respectively. Swiatek, on the other hand, had a bit of a scare in her second-round match against Naomi Osaka, in a hard-fought three-set match that almost swung in favour of the latter. The third-round match at the French Open 2024 was the first head-to-head match between Swiatek and Bouzkova and the latter’s first time at this stage of the tournament, her previous best a second-round outing in 2022.
Three-time French Open champion at all of 23 is aiming for her fourth title in Roland Garros. Swiatek’s round 4 opponent is yet to be determined. She will play her next match on June 2.
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