World number #1 Iga Swiatek has progressed to the second round of Wimbledon without much fuss after a routine victory against America’s Sofia Kenin. She now faces either Petra Martic or Francesca Jones as she aims to improve on her recent Wimbledon record.
Grass Court Struggles
It seems to be that Wimbledon is where Swiatek is at her most fragile. On clay the Pole has cracked the code and holds utter dominance over everyone on Tour. On hard court she has still won just one Grand Slam, equaling Coco Gauff’s record and behind Aryna Sabalenka, though she swats aside the vast majority of players.
On grass, however, that invincible-looking shield seems to slip and she cuts a rather uncomfortable figure. On a technical level, we can see why. With a lower bouncing ball traveling faster through the air, she is unable to get beneath the ball as quickly, her backswing shortens, and she cannot generate the same speed or spin. Plus, one of her main assets in her movement is stripped from her. For ten months of the season her footwork is the best out there, yet on the grass court it looks uncharacteristically clumsy and lacks the elegance we are so often accustomed to.
Iga Swiatek def. Sofia Kenin 63 64
The Opening Set
Tuesday, though, despite not being at her best she was able to east past a solid opponent. After holding her serve there was a three-way exchange of breaks which meant that she could see it out 6-3. It was an incredible display of returning which had helped her. In the opening set, she won 71% of Kenin’s second serve points due to her proactive positioning on return and aggression throughout. This in turn put more pressure on the world number #49’s to go bigger on her second serve to avoid being bullied, unsurprisingly she would miss 43% of them.
The Second Set
The second set was a whole lot more competitive. Kenin started to take the initiative in rallies and make life a lot more uncomfortable for last year’s quarter-finalist. Particularly on the serve, her bravery was now being rewarded. Yet, as all great players do, Swiatek raised her level in turn. Winning 100% of the points on her first serve, she showed some grass court prowess.
Yet, making just 54% of those first serves was rather worrying. As the fortnight develops that’s a stat that must improve, particularly when the level of opponent gets tougher. Conversely, it could just be a case of first-round nerves.
What this means…
The general consensus seems to be that Swiatek was more vulnerable today than on any other surface. It was clear that she wasn’t at the heights of the Parisian clay. Yet at the same time that reflects how high her expectations are that a 6-3 6-4 win acts as an “I told you so, she’s not as strong on grass.” For any other player in the draw that would be regarded as a solid professional win.
It’s a big week for Iga Swiatek. A grass Grand Slam is the final piece of the puzzle, and it’s up to her to place it all together.
Main Photo Credit: Susan Mullane-USA TODAY Sports
