Written by Richard Pagliaro | @Itenisi_Manje | Thursday, May 2, 2024
Iga Swiatek he has enough weapons to fill his Tecnifibre racquet bag.
World No. 1 Swiatek is one of the fastest players in the sport, with a sweet forehand, flat backhand and versatile serve.
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Swiatek’s most underrated weapon?
Swiatek is a master compressor, he said Madison Keys.
After Swiatek’s 6-1, 6-3 sweep of Keys in today’s Mutua Madrid Open semifinals, the 2017 US Open finalist defined the challenge of facing Swiatek.
The consistent depth of the four-time Grand Slam champion, combined with the fact that he is very good at hitting the ball on the rise, squeezes both space and reaction time from his opponents.
“I think he doesn’t look that serious, but I was also very impressed today with his depth and his shot placement,” Keys said of Swiatek. “I mean, every ball was an inch off the line, and you can’t get a field if it’s the ball coming at you.”
Pinned behind the baseline by Swiatek’s topspin can force opponents to pull the trigger quickly and play low drives down the lane, Keys said.
So, as Swiatek grows stronger, opponents’ error statistics can pile up as they grow.
“So I think he makes his opponents start slow and try to do things they don’t really have the balls to do,” said Keys. “I think that, you know, you win a point or two, and you have to work hard to do that or you have to play a point so good to win a point that it’s hard to do that consistently when all the balls are coming back. for you, you know, it comes fast, it comes deep, it comes with a good edge. “
Photo credit: Porsche Grand Prix Tennis Facebook
