6-0! Knockout in the hit of the Australian Open. Iga Świątek gave her rival a tennis lesson

• Emma Raducanu started the match against Iga Świątek in decent shape. But the Pole was basically ruthless today. It was a show
• In each subsequent game, the Pole put enormous pressure on her opponent. And only once did she allow her to maintain the site
• After a fantastic game, Świątek is already in the fourth round of the Australian Open. And she will be a big favorite again
• More information can be found in Przegląd Sportowy Onet

The stands of the Rod Laver Center Court were overwhelmingly full and this is hardly surprising. At the start of the seventh day of the Australian Open, we saw an absolute hit featuring two Grand Slam champions. And although Iga Świątek was the clear favorite, also due to her previous fights with Emma Raducanu, the first difficult test came for the Pole in Melbourne.

The British player lost the last few years due to a series of injuries that prevented her from playing regularly for the highest stakes. The sensational 2021 US Open winner has not been able to follow up on her feat in New York over the past three years. But in Australia she is doing at least decently, and earlier she defeated first seeded Ekaterina Aleksandrova and then Amanda Anisimova in impressive style.

A big hit on Center Court. And a one star show!

It was supposed to be a show and the first serious test before the decisive matches of the Australian Open for the second-ranked player. Świątek hasn't looked so convincing at the very beginning of a Grand Slam competition for a long time, but it must be admitted that in the initial rounds the ladder was going her way. By winning over Raducanu, the Pole had a chance to equal the achievement of Aryna Sabalenka, who reached the fourth round yesterday.

Let us remind you that both women are fighting by correspondence for the first place in the WTA ranking. If Sabalenka is eliminated before the semi-final of the tournament, she will certainly give way to the Polish leader, but if she is in the top four, Świątek will have to go at least a round further to get back to the top. Today, however, the only thing that mattered was the match with Emma Raducanu.

The second game of the match showed that it does not have to be an easy match for Iga Świątek. The Pole scored a series of points, and when it came to break points, Emma Raducanu responded in a fantastic way, sending an impressive drop shot. The British player kept the pass in impressive style, but there was no doubt that at the beginning of the match the favorite had a clear advantage when it came to the initiative on the court.

But the runner-up in the rankings did not intend to be discouraged after missing the first chance and on the next chance she dealt a blow to Raducana, taking away her serve. The rival's service was not helped by the low level of service. She also made two foot positioning mistakes at the very beginning. Importantly, the longer the exchanges lasted, the more Świątek's self-confidence seemed to grow.

In this situation, Raducanu should have shortened the exchanges, but… the mentioned service did not help her. As a result, each of her service games became a fight for survival. Our tennis player returned brilliantly and collected further points. One more break became a fact, increasing the already impressive advantage.

31 minutes and outclassing. Iga Świątek's show of strength

With such a difference in classes on the court, the first set couldn't last long. Iga Świątek won it in half an hour with a small defeat. 31 minutes of play gave the Poles a 6-1 lead, which was fully deserved. The favorite of the entire lower part of the ladder performed phenomenally and deservedly won the first game. She was basically doing everything right.

The second game started slightly differently than the first. This time we saw an extremely close game that could have given both players the lead. Once again, however, it was Iga Świątek who finally ended it with a break, which could prove crucial for the advancement to the fourth round of the Australian Open. A game lost on one's own serve at such a moment could have had a very negative impact on Raducan's future hopes.

This is what happened, although the 2021 US Open champion still had a chance to return to the competition in the next game. Świątek held her serve and then once again forced her opponent into a series of mistakes, breaking her serve again. At this point, only a miracle could save Raducanu. At 6:1, 3:0 she looked completely defeated.

Commendably, Iga Świątek still wasn't enough. She didn't make much of the big advantage, but wanted to do everything to close the match as quickly as possible. At the same time, she also showed off extremely impressive moves across the entire width of the court. The Pole hit the line straight, making virtually no unforced errors. After some of her moves, Raducanu could only really be applauded.

In such circumstances, with such a wonderful performance by Iga Świątek, Emma Raducanu could no longer hope. In exactly 70 minutes, the Pole advanced to the fourth round of the Australian Open and is already waiting for her rival. It will be either Jacqueline Cristian or Eva Lys. In both cases, our tennis player will be the clear favorite!

Iga Świątek — Emma Raducanu 6:1, 6:0