Defending champion Iga Swiatek cruised into the third round at Wimbledon after a resounding 6-1, 6-3 victory against 2021 runner-up Karolina Pliskova.
It was a comfortable afternoon for the Pole as she brushed aside her opponent in just over an hour, a far cry from her first-round win when she was taken to three sets by Taylor Townsend.
Swiatek got off to the perfect start by winning 16 out of the first 17 points played to open up a 4-0 lead in just 12 minutes, and she inevitably closed out the set.
The number three seed’s only test occurred during the early stages of the second set when she got broken to trail 2-0, but she quickly regathered her momentum by winning six out of the next seven games en route to victory.
Speaking after her victory, Swiatek said: “I’m feeling more stable today – and that’s good. The first round was really emotional for sure, but today I felt like it was another day in the office and I needed to be ready, be charge and make good decisions.
“It is always better when you’re able to think like that and it was a good day for me. I was consistent and I had a good level of focus, so I’m really happy with my performance.
“I just believed I could be the most solid player on the court. Even when she was playing fast and flat, I knew that my spin gives me control. I had things to challenge her with and that gave me a lot of belief.”
