Iga Swiatek will be hoping for a far less stressful third round match when she takes on Marie Bouzkova on Friday at the French Open. There are several matches before she would have had to worry about it but may well be relieved to see that potential threats like Danielle Collins and Jelena Ostapenko are now out on her side of the draw.
Swiatek had to save match point against Naomi Osaka in round two, eventually coming through 7-6 1-6 7-5 in one of the matches of the year so far. The indoor conditions aided Osaka but it was also a fearless attacking performance that allowed her to almost pull off the shock in this one. The World No.1 was able to ride her luck and strike late as Osaka’s level dipped a bit, reeling off five straight games at the end. “It’s hard to have any logical thoughts,” Swiatek said after. “Because for sure it was really intense and on a really high level. I was in huge trouble in the third set. I honestly didn’t believe that I could win — that would be pretty naïve. But I managed somehow to win this match. I’m glad I didn’t give up.”
Bouzkova is in the third round in Paris for the first time after two straight sets wins. The second of those came against Jana Fett, as she eased past the Croatian across two rain-filled days. It was a nice follow up for her after surprising Veronika Kudermetova in the opening round.
On a number of occasions, a near-loss for Swiatek has pre-empted an early exit soon after. It feels unlikely on this occasion with Bouzkova the type of matchup she will enjoy much more as opposed to the big hitters that have taken her out previously. She will be way more focused now and it would not be a surprise if this one ends quickly after Wednesday’s drama.
Prediction – Iga Swiatek in straight sets
