Polish tennis star Iga Swiatek overcame a first-set deficit to defeat Greece's Maria Sakkari 4-6, 6-1, 6-1 on Monday in the third round of the WTA 1000 tournament in Cincinnati.
Swiatek, who defeated Emiliana Arango 6-3, 6-0 in her previous match, is attempting to repeat her success from last year when she won the Cincinnati title. The victory also follows her recent tournament triumph at the WTA 1000 event in Toronto.
Describing the Monday encounter, Sport.pl journalist Radoslaw Leniarski reported that Swiatek spent longer warming up in the sweltering heat than in her opening match in Cincinnati, but once she warmed up, the contest against Sakkari resembled a boxer facing a punching bag.
Sport.pl reporter Lukasz Jachimiak noted that Sakkari played brilliantly for an hour, but Swiatek calmly absorbed the pressure to earn a deserved victory, marking her 100th win.
Expert reaction to Swiatek comeback
Commenting for Tenisklub, Adam Romer observed that Sakkari was left helpless in the deciding third set after Swiatek took full control of the match.
The social media page Z kortu posted pictures of a smiling Swiatek, noting that the images demonstrated how much the victory meant. The account added that Swiatek proved once again she can respond to whatever happens on court, making her visible joy during matches a pleasure to watch.
Tennis commentary profile The Tennis Letter described the performance as a great comeback against a former world number three. The account pointed out that after Sakkari played strongly in the first set, Swiatek regrouped to recapture her title-winning form from Toronto, securing her eighth consecutive match win overall and her seventh straight win in Cincinnati.
Round of 16 matchup and US Open outlook
Swiatek will face either Diane Parry, ranked 66th in the world, or Lois Boisson, ranked 281st, in the round of 16. Their matchup guarantees that the Polish player will contend against a French opponent for a spot in the quarter-finals.
The Cincinnati tournament, a key hard-court event on the Women's Tennis Association tour, serves as a major preparation event ahead of the final Grand Slam of the season.
Later this year, Swiatek will compete in the US Open, the remaining Grand Slam tournament on her schedule. She previously won the US Open in 2022.
