This edition of the Australian Open is turning out to be a hard grind for almost all the top dogs. If the numero uno of men’s tennis, Novak Djokovic, had to produce brilliance in the first two rounds, Thursday’s play in Melbourne saw Carlos Alcaraz and Iga Swiatek teased and tormented. Both survived, but Elena Rybakina – the No. 3 seed from Kazakhstan, who had knocked out Swiatek in 2023 – was not so fortunate.
Swiatek, the women’s world No. 1 who has yet to win the Australian Open, found the going crazy against Danielle Collins, down a double break in the third set before she won 6-4, 3-6, 6-4. A match like this in the heat of Melbourne does give fans value for money, but Swiatek thought the candles would blow out.
“Oh, my God, I was the airport already,” she said later on court, as if she had asked the customs and immigration guys at the Tullamarine airport to check her out early so that she could take the long flight back to Poland.
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But champions fight, more so when there is so much at stake. Swiatek was staring down the barrel when she faced those awkward moments. The temperature in Melbourne is still tolerable, in the 30-plus zone in Celsius. But Swiatek really had to turn it on against Collins from 4-1 down in the final set.
All thoughts of quitting the court, boarding a flight and heading home changed the moment Swiatek came up with points which only champions can produce in tough situations.
For someone on an incredible winning run, she knew she had to keep it going. In the end, what stood out was a cold stat – Swiatek is unbeaten in her last 18 matches. This is now her second-longest winning streak, something she had produced in 2022 as well.
“It wasn’t easy,” she said. “I felt like I had the momentum going and then she started playing suddenly two times faster and I had no idea how to react to that for a couple of games. But I came back, and I thought the only thing I could focus on was myself. I stopped caring how she’s going to play, I just focused on myself.”
Swiatek has not yet gone beyond the semis at the Australian Open, so each tough match she plays is sharpening her up.
If she seemed nervous and stressed at times, Alcaraz, billed as the next big star in men’s tennis, needed to produce sublime tennis against Lorenzo Sonego before entering the third round with a 6-4, 6-7, 6-3, 7-6 victory.
Winner of two Grand Slam titles, including the famous Wimbledon final against Djokovic in 2023, Alcaraz already enjoys top billing.
In terms of physique, game and creating the geometry on court, he has plenty of creativity with the racquet. Definitely, his athleticism, reach and ability to blend touch tennis and bazooka shots can be captivating. Two shots on Thursday were of that class, where Alcaraz was the master in motion. To hit the ball around the post and into play twice had the audience in raptures, and Alcaraz pumped up.
Yes, he was tested, but then, no champion emerges without being put through a trial by fire. In a contest between two guys out to create a rich tapestry of tennis, there were flicks and tricks from both Alcaraz and Sonego.
Finally, if Alcaraz won, it was because of his creativity and determination. “I’m really happy with my performance today,” he said. “I think both of us played at such a great level, high intensity.
“The match was tricky with the wind and sun. It was tough to play your best. We tried to stay there all the time, even if I lost the second set. I played a good game. It was a great match.”
In the evening session, there was another huge upset, with Rybakina losing 4-6, 6-4, 6-7 (20-22) to Russia’s Anna Blinkova. The 42-point tiebreak in the final set was the longest in a singles match in Grand Slam history.
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