I was in control of the game: Iga Swiatek cruises into the third round of the French Open

World No. 3 Iga Swiatek continued her march into the third round of Roland-Garros with a 6-2, 6-3 win over Czech qualifier Sara Bejlek on Court Philippe-Chatrier on Wednesday. The four-time champion wasn’t at her clinical best, but she had enough quality to dominate key stages of the match and stay on course for another deep run in Paris.

French Open: Update

Swiatek, who has only lost twice at Roland Garros since 2020, had to work harder than the score suggests in a match full of unforced errors and tempo swings.

When we talk after the win, Swiatek admitted that the match required constant adjustments against a difficult defensive opponent.

“She was pretty good defensively and I had a lot of opportunities to attack. Sometimes too many. So when you attack, you make more mistakes because it’s easier to push the ball back than to actually put a lot of energy into it and try to open up the court,” she said after the match, as quoted by Reuters.

The four-time champion also pointed out the difficulty of mastering Bejlk’s style and court conditions. “The rhythm wasn’t quite clear. But I didn’t mind. I wanted to be flexible and adapt and play my game. I had moments where mistakes happened, but at the end I feel like I was the one in control.”

CONTROLLED BUT IMPERFECT PROGRESS

Swiatek finished with 38 unforced errors, including a number of double faults, but still maintained control at key moments, particularly in the opening set when she raced to a 5-1 lead before closing out the match at 94 minutes.

Despite the inconsistencies, the Pole remains firmly in contention as he seeks his first clay court title since triumphing at Roland-Garros two years ago, with signs that he is still finding a rhythm on serve.

During the first two matches in Paris, Swiatek showed both dominance and vulnerability, losing serve several times but making up for it with an aggressive return and a strong finish. Of the eight games she has collected so far, six have come on her own serve, highlighting an area that continues to improve.

Her next challenge will be a third-round clash against fellow Pole Magda Linette – a match that will test both her consistency and her ability to handle high-risk, high-reward opponents as the tournament intensifies.

– The end

Published on:

27 May 2026 19:47 IST