Melbourne, Jan 18: World No. 2 Iga Swiatek of Poland delivered a commanding performance to defeat Great Britain's Emma Raducanu 6-1, 6-0 in their third-round showdown at the Australian Open on Saturday.

"For sure I felt great. I felt like the ball is listening to me. So just pretty loosened up. At the end I felt like all the tactics and everything I wanted to do, I was able to. So I just kept going," Swiatek said in press.

The highly-anticipated showdown on Rod Laver Arena ended in just 70 minutes, with Swiatek asserting her superiority from the outset.

The two marquee players boast remarkable achievements - Raducanu won the US Open as a qualifier in 2021, while Swiatek captured the title in 2022 as the World No.1. However, in Melbourne, it was Swiatek who held the upper hand throughout.

The five-time Grand Slam champion continues her bid for a maiden Australian Open title, having previously reached the semifinals in 2022 before falling to Danielle Collins.

With a place in the Round of 16 secured, Swiatek remains in contention to reclaim the World No.1 ranking she ceded to Aryna Sabalenka late last year. The ranking battle hinges on Sabalenka’s performance - if the two-time defending champion fails to reach the semifinals, Swiatek will return to the top. Otherwise, the final four will determine the post-tournament No.1 in the rankings.

Raducanu, ranked World No.61, has shown promising signs of resurgence. She has climbed over 230 spots since recovering from wrist surgery last year and secured her first Top 10 victories during the summer grass-court season, defeating Jessica Pegula in Eastbourne and Maria Sakkari at Wimbledon. However, a win against a current Top 4 player eluded her once again.

Swiatek, making her 20th consecutive third-round appearance at a Grand Slam, joins an elite group that includes Martina Navratilova, Conchita Martinez, and Arantxa Sanchez Vicario. Her consistency and confidence in these stages were evident as she extended her record as the active player with the highest Grand Slam winning percentage (86-18, 82.7%).

"I just try to have the same kind of attitude and focus no matter what the score is," Swiatek said post-match. "I’ve seen many matches where someone came back from being down. You always have to keep going—it’s not over till it’s over."

Swiatek has not lost to a player ranked outside the Top 50 since Wimbledon 2023, when she fell to Elina Svitolina. She is set to face another unseeded opponent in the Round of 16, either Jaqueline Cristian of Romania or lucky loser Eva Lys of Germany.

Swiatek’s emphatic victory underscores her status as one of the tournament’s top contenders, with her eyes firmly set on reclaiming the World No.1 ranking and achieving a career milestone in Melbourne.

(IANS)

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