Iga Swiatek made a winning start at the Poland Open by beating Nigina Abduraimova, and it was a happy return back home.
It's the home event of Swiatek, who loves to play in Poland but doesn't get much of a chance to do that outside of the Billie Jean King Cup. Her return to Warsaw saw her win the opening match comfortably though it might not have been as dominant as some expected.
It takes some time to get used to hard courts again, and she faced a rather inspired tennis player. Even so, Swiatek was extremely happy to be back, especially as the stands were packed at the WTA 250 tournament. Speaking after the match, she named the event a special one for her.
For sure, it's pretty special tournament. It's not an easy one to play, a little bit different stress than usual, but I'm happy for the chance to play in front of Polish crowds.
First rounds, they aren't easy, and anybody who knows a little bit about tennis, they'll tell you that it's a little bit harder to player at home. Coming from grass courts ... for sure, I need to work on some stuff, but hopefully, I'm going to play better and better every day.
The Polish player will likely add a few more wins hoping to go all the way. She didn't get to do that last year as she was beaten by Caroline Garcia, but the goal is pretty clear. She's going to get plenty of support, and everybody will be hoping that she goes all the way. She thanked the crowd on social media after the match.
Thank you for coming yesterday! It's always a great motivation but I won't lie to you, it's also a different kind of stress. So on Thursday, I'll have another chance to get used to hard court and hopefully, you'll enjoy it. See you!
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