Iga Swiatek wasn't bothered by Yulia Putintseva playing the underarm serve at the 2024 Indian Wells Open as she kept her focus and cruised to the finish line.
Putintseva struggled tremendously against the Polish player in their most recent match at the Indian Wells. She struggled so much that she went to one of her secret weapons, which is the underarm serve, but it didn't really make much difference.
The Polish player remained calm and kept playing the way she could, cruising to the finish line. After the match, Swiatek confirmed that she wasn't bothered by the underarm serve. She actually doesn't mind those serves because she can return them really well.
"Maybe they teach that in Kazakhstan. I don't know, because Bublik does the same. I don't really care. Honestly, if the serve would be in, that would be my best return probably of the match (smiling)."
We've seen players increasingly using underarm serves to try to break up the rhythm of their opponents. Sometimes, it works, but generally, most players are kind of ready for it. Putintseva is one of those players known to use it occasionally, so Swiatek was likely ready for it.
"I was actually unhappy that it was out. But, I mean, I'm ready for anything that comes to me, so I don't really care what's going on on the other side of the net."
Due to the high bounce, it's probably not the best court for an underarm serve, and certainly not against Swiatek, who is an excellent mover and can get to any ball. In any case, there was very little impact on the match because Swiatek was locked in and playing a fabulous match.
The level she is at right now is more than good enough to win the trophy, but it will be time to see if she actually goes all the way.