French Open: Iga Swiatek beats Riske, sprints to 30th consecutive win
Paris, May 26: World No 1 Iga Swiatek extended her winning streak to 30 consecutive matches with a 6-0, 6-2 victory against American Alison Riske in the second round of the French Open, here on Thursday.
Swiatek hit 23 winners to 15 unforced errors in 61 minutes and lost just 10 points in seven service games. She improved to 3-0 against Riske with the victory, with all three wins coming on clay; they played in both Madrid and Rome last year.
Over the course of her winning streak, the Pole star has been on the record saying that she's been taking her matches just one point at a time.That mentality was on full display against Riske at the start of the second set.
After holding serve to lead 6-0, 1-0, Swiatek sat down in her chair, sipping from her water bottle and expecting a full changeover. She knowingly jumped up moments later after an amusing exchange with chair umpire Emmanuel Joseph, complete with a nearly literal spit-take.
Montenegro's Danka Kovinic will be Swiatek's next opponent after upsetting No 25 seed Liudmila Samsonova in Round 1, she matched her best-ever Grand Slam performance thanks to a 6-3, 7-5 win over Anna Karolina Schmiedlova. Kovinic also reached the third round of the Australian Open earlier this year.
Meanwhile, No 7 seed Aryna Sabalenka advanced to the last 32 in Paris for the third year running after a 6-1, 6-3 win over American Madison Brengle.
Sabalenka broke Brengle five times in a 62-minute victory, and hit 37 winners to 24 unforced errors. Her plus-13 differential between winners and unforced errors was a cleaner shower than the 42 winners to 50 unforced errors she struck against Paquet in Round 1.
Though she was the bigger hitter in each of her first two rounds, Sabalenka's third round foe will no doubt match her for power: She will face No. 28 seed Camila Giorgi of Italy next.
Elsewhere in the Top 10, and in a match that guaranteed an American in Round 3, No 9 seed Danielle Collins was beaten by compatriot Shelby Rogers, 6-4, 6-3.