Usually Iga Świątek fans are worried when their favorite during matches does not control their emotions and frustration makes it difficult to compete. However, there were also meetings during which her peace turned out to be ominous. This was the case, among others In the quarterfinals of Wimbledon two years ago, in which she was leading 5: 3 and 30: 0, but she did not win this party. Now you can only help if she did it, Elina Switolina would not close her door to a great, still unfulfilled dream.
Tutoring from taxes and solidarity in difficult times. On the court of Christmas and Switolina they forget about it
They met better as training partners during quarantine at the beginning of 2021. At that time, Switolina seven years older shared valuable and practical knowledge from Świątki, explaining her, among others the specificity of tax systems in individual countries. In the next season they were brought even more like a drama in the homeland of the first of them. Shelf She repeatedly showed support for the victims of the armed attack of Ukrainians, and The court from Odessa often thanked her for that.
It was also known, however, that when they hit each other in a tournament ladder, during the match mutual sympathy is put aside. And so it was in each of the three confrontations to date. Also in the only one that ended with the victory of Switolina. And the rate was then the highest and which they fought with each other.
Wimbledon 2022 – Sacred from the beginning nervously fell out in the third round. Thus, she interrupted after 37 matches a very impressive series of wins. Switolina was not in the cast of the tournament at all, because she was getting ready for a new life role – the role of mother. Three months later she gave birth to a skai daughter. She returned to the competition in April of the following year, as 1344. The world's rocket. Three months later, she already joined the Grand Slam struggles in London as 76, because in the meantime, among others She won the tournament in Strasbourg and reached the quarter -finals Roland Garros.
At this stage in Wimbledon, she faced a Polish woman, with whom she lost the only duel until then – in the quarter -finals in Rome in 2021 it was 6: 2, 7: 5 for Świątek. Only that in the capital of Italy you play on earth courts, where the latter feels like a fish in water. On the grassy surface, it was often nervous and uncertain. This time in the quarter -finals it was different, although – as it turned out later – it was not a good signal at all.
Świątek led 5: 3 and the end. Nothing helped. Amazing feat of Switolina
It started promising – Świątek led 5: 3 and 30: 0. Switolina serving at the time, however, came out of oppression and not only avoided another loss of application, but won four games in a row, writing the opening set on her account. Especially one statistics were particularly significant – the Polish woman lost as much as 16 out of 18 points in the end.
It was then that the younger tennis player looked at the training staff in boxing, and after a while she approached him to mention the comments. She repeated it after returning from the cloakroom, and during the absence of the court she met with the then trainer Tomasz Wiktorowski (now he works with Wim Fissett). She had more time thanks to agothat the organizers decided to cover the roof.
– Such a break is longer and the coaches can then come to the players' room. Then I wanted to get a return message from Maciej (Ryszczuk – physical preparation coach – ed.) And Daria (Abramowicz, psychologists). I wanted their advice. I wasn't sure what I should focus on because I had the impression that I was making the same mistakes, although I tried to hit the ball better. Sometimes, when something doesn't work, it's hard to find the cause, because there may be several of them. Sometimes from the outside it can be easier to analyze something – She later translated to journalists of Świątek.
After returning to the court, she also changed the rocket. It all worked at most temporarily. The Polish woman won the second fierce set and it was the first time that she gave a mobilizing shout for the first time. From the beginning of the meeting, Switolina reacted more emotionally – both to successful play and failure. After one of the broken balls, she rested her head on the net. In the decisive party, however, she gradually started and she could tighten his fist much more often in a gesture of triumph. The peace of the Polish woman began to turn into passivity more and more and she was only a background for the rival.
A rival, who then became a favorite of the London audience. After the last football match with Świtolina, she crouched and covered her lips. She did not believe in what had just happened. Not only did she defeat the then leader of the world ranking, but also repeated her best result in a great shelter (in London she earlier reached the semi -finals in 2019). In the next round she dropped out, but she still had great reasons to be satisfied. And a very successful start resulted in promotion to the 27th position of the list Wt.
Świątek calmly accepted the decision of that duel. She did not hide that the bitterness of defeat was somewhat alleviated by the fact that on the other side there was a Switolina, which she hugged just after the match. The Polish woman was also happy that she fell out in Wimbledon much better than a year earlier. The Ukrainian woman closed her door to the dream, which was the semi -final of this prestigious event. This remains the only installment of the Great Slam, in which Świątek has never reached the best four.
Switolinus revealed to that lost in the next season – In the 1/8 final in Dubai she won spectacularly 6: 1, 6: 4. How will it be in the 1/8 final in Miami now? It is difficult to predict, but the Ukrainian woman probably – as usual – will be brave and patient. And if that is why one should not attach to the fact that she underwent ankle surgery six months ago.
The match of Świątek – Switolina in Florida will take place on Monday night to Tuesday Polish time.