Iga Swiatek had to work hard to get through her first match at the Italian Open on Friday, coming through a tough opener against Caty McNally.
Still getting back to full fitness after withdrawing from her second match in Madrid due to illness, Swiatek needed three sets to beat the American.
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The world number one took the opening set before McNally fought back to force a decider, where Swiatek pulled away late for a 6-1, 6-7, 6-3 win.
By her own high standards, it’s been a slow start to the season. She hasn’t reached a semifinal yet and is still looking for her first title of the year.
This is Swiatek’s last tournament before Roland Garros, so she’ll be hoping to put some wins together and build confidence ahead of the French Open.
Photo by Robert Prange/Getty Images
Swiatek reflects on her preparation for Roland Garros
When asked how she feels about her game heading into Roland Garros, Swiatek was honest:
“Yeah, for sure I wanted to play more matches.
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“It’s something that I feel like I’m lacking. I want to play more. There are some moments on the match where you can see I’m a little bit rusty with playing points.
“I think I need more matches to gain some confidence in different situations. I’m happy that I won this one today ’cause it gives me another chance.”
This match against McNally marked only her fifth appearance of the clay season across three tournaments.
Iga Swiatek shares her thoughts after her Rome first-round win
Reflecting on her match against McNally, Swiatek said: “For sure not an easy first match. The conditions were kind of heavy.
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“The ball was flying slow. So we had many, like, long rallies, many moments where you could create a lot on the court.
“I was really happy with the first set, then I made some mistakes. Also, Caty, I felt like she was playing one more ball in, really grinding in defense.
“I needed to be patient. I’m happy at the end of the match, I was solid, and I used the right balls to attack, but was also patient enough to stay in the rally.”
Swiatek is seeded fourth at this year’s Italian Open and is a three-time former champion in Rome.
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