If Iga Swiatek feels any pressure as the No.1 seed at Wimbledon, she wasn’t letting it show in her first round meeting against Lin Zhu.
The world No.1 took an efficient 81 minutes to claim a 6-1, 6-3 victory over her Chinese opponent, with a businesslike progression that sent a powerful reminder of Swiatek’s grass court credentials.
Swiatek lifted the most recent of her four Grand Slam trophies at Roland-Garros just over three weeks ago, adding to those she had already collected in Paris in 2020 and 2022.
The 22-year-old added to her Slam collection as last year's US Open champion.
With an Australian Open semi-final appearance also on her record, Swiatek’s best Wimbledon appearance so far – a fourth round showing two years ago – seems comparatively meagre.
But the All England Club is in fact the setting for the Pole’s earliest Grand Slam breakthrough, the unseeded Swiatek claiming the Wimbledon girls’ title in 2018.
Swiatek was similarly impressive on Wimbledon’s No.1 Court as she managed the danger that 29-year-old Zhu presented.
At world No.34, Zhu is the highest-ranked unseeded player in the ladies’ draw at Wimbledon, with her confidence growing this season after winning her first WTA singles title at Hua Hin in February. Earlier, she’d reached the fourth round of a Grand Slam for a first time at the Australian Open.
It was all the more impressive then, as Swiatek dominated their first career match from the earliest stages. After braving a break point in the opening game, the world No.1 was in full control for the entire 35-minute first set, even holding set points in the sixth game for a potential 6-0 advantage.
Zhu fought back to register on the scoreboard before Swiatek took the lead on her third set point.
I felt like I did a really good job adjusting to grass. I wanted to see how today was going to go and when I came on court, it felt amazing
There were signs of a recovery from Zhu, who held two break points early in the second set, and after dropping her own serve in the third game, at last converted on her fourth break point opportunity.
It was a temporary reprieve, the world No.1 bouncing back in the very next game and maintaining focus after a 25-minute rain delay.
The final two games were played under a closed roof on the No.1 court, a clinical Swiatek winning both of them in all-round solid progression.
“I feel really kind of confident. I felt like I did a really good job adjusting to grass. I wanted to see how today was going to go and when I came on court, it felt amazing,” said the Pole, whose 22 total winners vastly outnumbered the seven from Zhu.
“I’m just happy to be here and happy to be able to play my own game.”
There was also the reassurance of full physical fitness, following Swiatek’s withdrawal, due to illness, from the Bad Homburg semi-finals last week.
“I’m happy that I had time to recover,” said Swiatek. “Before a Grand Slam, you never want to risk being too fatigued, so I think we did everything well and I feel prepared. I had a chance to practise yesterday and (it’s) all good. I feel like I’m in the rhythm.”
That rhythm already seems an impressive one for the world’s top player, an ominous warning sounded as she targets further highs in her-already glittering Grand Slam career.
Swiatek now faces either Sara Sorribes Tormo or Martina Trevisan in the second round.
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