Iga Swiatek revealed that a chat with Serena Williams gave her a boost for her ruthless third-round victory over 2021 French Open finalist Anastasia Pavlyuchenkova.
After Anastasia Pavlyuchenkova was wounded by a traditional Iga Swiatek ‘double bagel’ (6-0, 6-0) in Rome last year, an improvement on that humbling was more or less a given.
However, the world number one made light work of her opponent coming through in 90 minutes under the lights on Arthur Ashe.
Without facing a break point in the entire match, the opening rally of the second set saw Pavlyuchenkova fire a backhand into the midriff of Swiatek, immediately turning away from the apology-expectant Pole.
Well the Russian might now rue this slightly ruthless move as a fired up Swiatek marched to the finish line 6-2 in the second.
The 2022 champion at Flushing next faces another Russian in Liudmila Samsonova for a spot in the quarter-finals, with the 25-year-old having stormed past Ashyln Krueger 6-1, 6-1, to set up the match against Swiatek.
Iga Swiatek rejoices at Serena Williams interaction after booming third round US Open win
After a typically ruthless Swiatek victory, the world number one shared how the 23-time singles champion, who she was spotted talking with in the players’ gym before the match, helped her across the line.
“It was really nice to see her,” she admitted in her press conference. “She has a lot of positive energy. It’s nice that she came on-site and she was chatting with the players, because for me, yeah, I still felt, even though we met before and for like a couple of years we have been on the same sides and on tour together, she’s still like star-striking me.
“It was nice that she approached me, because I wouldn’t, for sure, find courage to do that if it was the other way,” the top seed explained with a smile. “But, yeah, she’s really nice and really positive.
“I’m happy that she’s following tennis, you know, and, like, my game, because she told me that she’s cheering for me. It’s always nice to hear that from somebody like Serena,” she added before saying that the encounter with Williams “inspired me and it gave me, like, a positive kick.”
Serena Williams returned to Flushing Meadows for the first time since her 2022 retirement as a spectator.
Having won six of her 23 singles Grand Slam titles in New York, the American’s struggled in her last decade on tour with her last US Open title came in 2013.
How far can Iga Swiatek go at the US Open?
A slight wobble in her opener has since been left behind, with Swiatek dominating her subsequent opponents, with a second round win against Japan’s Ena Shibahara coming at the expense of just a single game.
After a significant defeat to Aryna Sabalenka in the Cincinnati semi-finals, the Pole’s top seeding wasn’t enough to class her as the favorite, with the Belarusian seemingly primed to go one better than last year.
However, with Swiatek yet to drop a set, unlike her the world number two who gave one up to Ekaterina Alexandrova in her third round match, she has looked in formidable shape.
With her third encounter with Samsonova coming in last year’s Beijing final, a routine 6-2, 6-2 victory helped Swiatek to her third win of three against the Russian.
Providing the Pole continues on this trajectory, there will no stopping her until at least the final.
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