Iga Swiatek advanced to the fourth round of the US Open on Saturday, rebounding from a shaky beginning to narrowly defeat Anna Kalinskaya of Russia.
The second-seeded Swiatek of Poland — the favorite to win the tournament according to betting odds — encountered difficulties in the first set as the 29th-seeded Kalinskaya surged to a 5-1 advantage.
But Swiatek battled back into the competition to secure a 7-6 (7/2), 6-4 victory on the Arthur Ashe Stadium court.
Even Swiatek struggled to articulate how she reversed her sluggish start.
“I honestly don’t know — Anna was performing exceptionally well, hitting all these daring shots,” she expressed. “My aim was simply to minimize errors. I felt my overall game was solid, but I faltered in the final shot.”
“I concentrated on the fundamentals… I approached it as a situation with nothing to lose, given my significant deficit. Consequently, I committed fully, recognizing that there were limited alternatives.”
Swiatek appeared unsettled from the beginning, encountering challenges with her serve’s consistency and making numerous unforced errors.
She trailed 2-1 after being broken in the third game, and Kalinskaya quickly put Swiatek in jeopardy once more in the fifth.
A concerning double-fault from Swiatek during a break point granted the Russian a 4-1 lead, which soon became 5-1 when she held in the subsequent game.
However, while serving for the set at 5-2, Kalinskaya suddenly faltered, allowing Swiatek to re-enter the match. Kalinskaya lost four set points before being broken.
Swiatek broke again to equalize at 5-5, and it seemed the momentum had shifted in the Pole’s favor.
Yet, another twist occurred as the two competitors exchanged breaks of serve, leading to a tiebreak that Swiatek won convincingly.
The second set commenced with both players once again exchanging breaks of serve. The set proceeded with serve until Swiatek seized the initiative in the ninth game to break for a 5-4 lead.
A powerful Swiatek forehand generated a match point, which the Pole capitalized on when Kalinskaya sent a return shot wide.
Swiatek will now face the 13th-seeded Ekaterina Alexandrova of Russia in the round of 16 on Monday.
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