Iga Swiatek started her 2024 Australian Open campaign victoriously, overcoming former champion Sofia Kenin in straight sets.
When the draw assigned the American to the current world no. 1, fans immediately knew that the match would be a first-round blockbuster of two fellow Grand Slam champions fighting for a second-round spot in Melbourne.
Ahead of their match, the Polish player spoke about how interesting it was how their life journeys went in different ways, since they met in a Grand Slam final only a few years ago.
But now, they met in the first round, and it was time to fight for a second-round spot, even though there were still six more steps to where they met the last time they played on a Grand Slam stage.
In the first set of the match, Kenin significantly troubled her opponent, and it was clear that she believed it is possible to beat the current world no. 1 in the WTA Rankings.
The 2020 champion got an early break, leading 3-1, and despite losing the break, Kenin jumped into the lead once again, serving for the set at 5-4 after adding one more break. But her efforts would be neutralized by the Polish player.
Despite her opponent's efforts, Swiatek took the first set into a tie-break, and in it, she was the better player, comfortably cruising towards a 7-2 win, taking the first set in over an hour.
In the second set of the match, Kenin once again had multiple chances to break, but what mattered this time was efficiency. The American had three break points, while her opponent had four, but when it came to converting, she couldn't use any of her chances, while the Pole did it twice.
The result was a simple-looking, but not so simple, victory for Swiatek, 7-6(2), 6-2, advancing into the second round of the tournament, where she'll await the winner of the match between former Australian Open finalist Danielle Collins and former world no. 1, Angelique Kerber.
Iga Swiatek vs Sofia Kenin Match Stats:
| Iga Swiatek | Sofia Kenin | |
|---|---|---|
| 5 | Aces | 2 |
| 0 | Double Faults | 3 |
| 69% | First Serve % | 65% |
| 65% (32/49) | Points Won After First Serve % | 64% (30/47) |
| 64% (14/22) | Points Won After Second Serve % | 32% (8/25) |
| 44% (4/9) | Break Point Conversion | 40% (2/5) |
| 30 | Winners | 18 |
| 21 | Unforced Errors | 34 |
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