Iga Swiatek became the talking point during the women's singles match between Poland and China at the 2024 United Cup, but for less glamorous reasons.
It is very for Swiatek to be involved in contentious moments, but that's exactly what happened prior to the start of the match against Qinwen Zheng on Wednesday, where a semifinal spot at the United Cup was at stake.
Swiatek and Zheng have previously played four times at the tour level, with the Pole maintaining a 100% winning record. However, two of those meetings went the distance, including their 2022 French Open clash when the Chinese youngster was the only woman to take a set from Swiatek.
So, If China were looking to spring an upset in the tie and on their United Cup debut, Zheng held an important role in the team trying to upstage the seemingly unbeatable Swiatek. The unthinkable happened as the two players got on with their warm-up routine.
Swiatek inadvertently thundered a fierce serve that was arrowing into Zheng's body until the Chinese player intercepted it with her right hand - the same one she plays with. Television cameras caught the incident. Zheng was left seething and unimpressed.
Words were exchanged, although what was said was unclear. Swiatek quickly put her arm up to apologize and plead her case that it was purely accidental. Once both players completed their warm-ups, Swiatek showed little sympathy towards Zheng as she extended her winning record in the series to 5-0.
The 22-year-old defeated the World No. 14 6-2, 6-3 to propel Poland to the semifinal of the United Cup. It was her third straight singles win and fifth overall in the tournament, which has set up a mouthwatering clash against France in Sydney on Saturday.
Swiatek and Zheng did not make a drama out of the incident and shook hands at the net after the match, having buried the hatchet that engulfed the start of proceedings. You can check out the incident in the video below.
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