Iga Swiatek did not have the ideal preparation for her fourth round match at the Australian Open following a dispute with the tournament organisers.
Swiatek is one of the Australian Open favorites this year, where she could complete the Career Slam if she were to win the title for the first time.
It has been a fairly comfortable start for the world number two, with Swiatek dropping just one set en route to the second week.
Swiatek was also handed a boost after Naomi Osaka withdrew, but she did not get everything she wanted for her fourth round match against Australian qualifier Madson Inglis.
Jim Courier reveals dispute Iga Swiatek had with the Australian Open
Swiatek has won all three of her matches at the Australian Open so far this year during the night session in Melbourne.
Despite this, it has now been reported by former world number one and two-time Australian Open champion Jim Courier that Swiatek was actually involved in a standoff with the tournament, as she wanted to play against Inglis in the day session.
However, with Inglis being the last remaining Australian player in the women’s singles draw, the tournament broadcaster were keen to have the tournament in the night session, which they were then awarded.
“Scheduling is always a hot topic and yesterday’s scheduling meeting went exceptionally long, it was a massive battle, because Swiatek wanted a day match and the Australian network which I work for down here desperately wanted to have an Australian playing in prime time, that’s what they pay the big money for!” Courier said when speaking on Tennis Channel.
“And it was a long drawn out battle and I can tell you is that it went to the wire! And eventually Channel 9 got what they wanted, what the tournament also wants and Iga didn’t get what she wanted.
“But those are the backroom happenings here at tournaments like this. Why she wanted to play in the day, I don’t know, because going forward from here it’s going to be mostly night matches. Certainly once you get to the semifinals and finals they’re all night matches for the women’s, but there’s lots of little skirmishes underneath the tunnels.”
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What happened in Iga Swiatek’s fourth round match vs Madison Inglis?
Although Swiatek was not satisfied with the scheduling of her match against Inglis, she was able to put this behind her to safely reach the quarterfinals of the Australian Open for the third time in her career.
After her third round match, Swiatek admitted she can sometimes be affected by tennis crowds, but she was able to weather the storm of the majorly Australian support to beat Inglis, 6-0 6-3.
Who stops Iga Swiatek from completing the Career Grand Slam in Australia?
Swiatek will now face world number five and former Australian Open finalist Elena Rybakina in the quarterfinals.
This will be a 12th meeting between the two players, with Swiatek narrowly leading the head-to-head 6-5.
However, their only previous meeting at the Australian Open saw Rybakina beat Swiatek in straight sets on her route to the 2023 final.
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