Iga Swiatek wins first grass-court match in 2023
Poland’s Iga Swiatek celebrates winning the first set against Czech Republic’s Karolina Muchova during their women’s singles final match on day fourteen of the Roland-Garros Open tennis tournament at the Court Philippe-Chatrier in Paris on June 10, 2023. (Photo by Emmanuel DUNAND / AFP)
It took World No.1 Iga Swiatek a little time on Monday to acclimate to the grass under her feet in the first round of the Bad Homburg Open. But only a set.
Swiatek, who won the French Open on the clay courts in Paris earlier this month, won her first grass-court match of the season against 2022 Wimbledon semifinalist Tatjana Maria 5-7, 6-2, 6-0 in Bad Homburg, Germany. Swiatek now has a 36-6 record this season.
Article continues after this advertisementSwiatek has yet to win a WTA tournament on grass, and she hasn’t made it past the Round of 16 on the grass courts in London. In the next round, she will face Switzerland’s Jil Teichmann, who beat American Claire Liu in three sets.
Other seeded players to advance were No. 4 Mayar Sherif of Egypt, a three-sets winner over German Anna-Lena Friedsam; No. 5 Bianca Andreescu of Canada, who eliminated Great Britain’s Sonay Kartal, also in three sets; and No. 8 Varvara Gracheva of Russia, who topped Romanian Jaqueline Cristian in straight sets.
Katerina Siniakova of the Czech Republic ousted No. 7 Elisabetta Cocciaretto of Italy, 6-3, 6-4.
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It was a split decision for the American women in Eastbourne, England, with Madison Keys victorious and Shelby Rogers and Lauren Davis eliminated in first-round action.
Keys was a 7-6 (4), 6-4 winner over Tereza Martincova, a lucky loser who got a spot in the main draw when fellow Czech Linda Fruhvirtova withdrew. Qualifier Camila Osorio of Colombia toppled Rogers 6-4, 6-4, and local favorite Jodie Burrage of Great Britain got past Davis 4-6, 6-4, 6-3.
Also moving on was No. 9 seed Daria Kasatkina of Russia, who beat Anhelina Kalinina of Ukraine 6-3, 6-1. Next, she will face former World No. 1 Karolina Pliskova of the Czech Republic, the champion in Eastbourne in 2017 and 2019.
Pliskova was tied 1-1 and up 3-0 in the third set when Elise Mertens of Belgium retired with a left hip injury.
