Swiatek quickly begins the Italian Open; Osaka progresses
Modern Tack:
Iga Swiatek walked all over Elisabetta Cocciaretto, obliterating her in mere 52 minutes. Riding high on a wave of determination, the Polish powerhouse planted her flag at the Italian Open on Thursday.
World number two Swiatek had suffered a painful straight-sets defeat to Coco Gauff at the Madrid Open. But nature abhors a vacuum, and the 23-year-old Pole was determined to fill it.
Cocciaretto, a hometown hero, could only drop a single game as Swiatek marched ahead with a resounding 6-1, 6-0 drubbing. This puts Swiatek on a collision course with American Danielle Collins in the third round.
"Today, the ball and I spoke as one, and I felt I had complete control over the game," Swiatek said, reflecting on her dominating performance. "It's always comfortable to play like that. Keep grinding, don't expect miracles - that's my motto."
Swiatek has triumphed thrice at the Italian Open and is leveraging this clay-court tournament as a stepping stone to defend her French Open title. However, the reigning queen of the Italian Open has yet to claim a trophy this season.
Naomi Osaka, a former world number one, rebounded from a first-set setback to outlast lucky loser Viktorija Golubic 2-6, 7-5, 6-1. Home sweet home for Jasmine Paolini, who effortlessly dispatched Lulu Sun of New Zealand 6-4, 6-3, will face Ons Jabeur after the Tunisian enjoyed a walkover against Petra Kvitova.
American third seed Jessica Pegula eased into the third round, besting compatriot Ashlyn Krueger 6-4, 6-2, and awaits Elise Mertens, who edged past Suzan Lamens in three sets. Madison Keys, the Australian Open champion, advanced alongside Svitolina, who booked her spot in round three with a 6-4, 7-6 (7/2) victory over Jessica Bouzas Maneiro.
Men's world number one Jannik Sinner will get his Musk-rates rising again after a three-month doping ban as he takes on Mariano Navone on Saturday. The Argentinian overcame Federico Cina 6-3, 6-3 in the opening round.
Joining Sinner in the exit lane was Italian showman Fabio Fognini, who bid adieu to his home Masters event with a humbling 6-2, 6-3 loss to Briton Jacob Fearnley. The 37-year-old Fognini's Italian Open adventure came to an end after a disappointing performance on his home turf.
On the other side of the cloth, Hungarian Fabian Marozsan kicked Brazillian teenager Joao Fonseca to the curb with a straight-sets victory. Since clinching his first Tour-level title in Buenos Aires back in February, the 18-year-old Fonseca has been having a rough time on European clay courts. He made early exits at the Madrid Open and the Estoril challenger event.
- The world number two, Iga Swiatek, is leveraging the Italian Open as a stepping stone to defend her French Open title, a tournament she's previously triumphed in thrice.
- Swiatek's dominating performance at the Italian Open, where she played tennis against Elisabetta Cocciaretto, has attracted attention in the world of sports, with Swiatek stating that she felt in complete control during the match.
- AI, in the form of modern tennis techniques, played a significant role in Swiatek's victory, as she effortlessly overcame Cocciaretto, a hometown hero, in a resounding 6-1, 6-0 win.
- The international world of tennis now has its eyes on the collision course set between Swiatek and American Danielle Collins, a match that could determine who exits the Italian Open in the third round.
