Deep in the bowels of Rod Laver Arena, high fives and hugs were the order of the day for Iga Swiatek as she parted company with her team before heading into battle against Sofia Kenin.
Fortified by the confidence she derived from last November’s title run at the WTA Finals, where she reclaimed the top ranking from Aryna Sabalenka with the last ball of the season, ending an eight-week interregnum, Swiatek has said she is better equipped to deal with the pressures of being No 1 this year. The smile she flashed as she grabbed her belongings and began the lengthy walk of champions seemed to confirm the truth of that claim. So too did the performance that followed.
It was a pig of a draw for both women, this first-round meeting of grand slam champions. The pair last crossed paths in the final of the 2020 French Open, when Swiatek was largely unknown and Kenin was ranked sixth after winning that year’s Australian Open. Their careers have gone in very different directions since the Pole’s victory that day. Swiatek rose to become the world’s best player; Kenin suffered a series of injuries and ailments that marred the next two seasons, sending her ranking into freefall before she worked her way back to the fringes of the top 30 last year.
The quality of the ferociously combative American’s game has never been in question, however, and on a sweltering afternoon in Melbourne she posed the top seed all manner of problems before Swiatek closed out a hard-earned 7-6 (7-2), 6-2 win in an hour and 51 minutes.
“The temperature was higher than any match I played this season,” said Swiatek of her 17th straight victory. “I needed to adjust to that. The balls were a little bit flying out of control. That’s normal in these conditions.
“At the beginning, I knew I could do a little bit more in terms of the placement. I wanted to be more aggressive. But on the other hand, I was backing down a little bit. I just wanted to go forward and be proactive and have initiative.”
Much of that was also down to Kenin, who could hardly have done more to make life difficult for her rival. Throughout the first set, she matched and frequently eclipsed Swiatek from the baseline, taking the ball on the rise, directing it into the corners with pace and accuracy, and keeping the Pole off balance with smart drop shots and angles.
Capitalising on some uncharacteristic errors from Swiatek, Kenin claimed an early break, and although she subsequently became distracted by a contentious call, frittering away her advantage with an ill-timed double fault, she then showed admirable tenacity to halt a run of three games against her, battling through a nine-minute service game to hold for 4-4.
From there, a searing backhand winner gave Kenin a second break and a chance to serve for the first set. But as Polish fans exchanged worried glances, Swiatek remained a model of composure. She produced a magisterial backhand, demolished an off-forehand, and in a trice she was back on equal terms. The moment of crisis had passed.
“For sure, it wasn’t the easiest first round,” acknowledged the Pole. “She played really well. I tried to find my rhythm, especially in the first set. I’m happy at the end of the set I could win the most important points.”
With Danielle Collins lying in wait following a 6-2, 3-6, 6-1 win over Angelique Kerber, another former Australian Open champion, the next round is unlikely to be any easier. The 30-year-old American defeated Swiatek in the semi-finals two years ago, but there is a serenity and belief about the Pole that bodes well for the challenges ahead. She is unbeaten since September of last year, the adjustment she has made to the first phase of her service action is holding up well under the scrutiny of match play, and against Kenin she was able to elevate her game at the key moments. There was even a one-handed backhand volley at one point, a sure sign that confidence is high.
Elena Rybakina, Swiatek’s conqueror in last year’s fourth round and a potential semi-final opponent, survived a similarly onerous first-round test against Karolina Pliskova. Rybakina, the third seed, came through 7-6 (8-6), 6-4 against the former world No 1.
“It was really tough match,” said Rybakina, who will face Russia’s Anna Blinova next. “I think it’s a good win, especially for the first round.”
No one will appreciate the truth of that sentiment more than Swiatek.