French Open: Speedy Iga Swiatek destroys Riske to reach third round
Iga Swiatek demolished American Alison Riske 6-0, 6-2 as she raced into the third round of the French Open on Thursday with her 30th consecutive victory.
PARIS: Iga Swiatek demolished American Alison Riske 6-0, 6-2 as she raced into the third round of the French Open on Thursday with her 30th consecutive victory.
The world number one wasted no time on court Suzanne Lenglen, showing no mercy as she went close to dishing out the first 'double bagel' of this year's tournament.
The Polish player, the hot favourite to claim a second title in three years, was virtually unchallenged by the world number 43 who could only manage seven points in the opening set.
Riske put up something of a fight in the second, letting out a big scream and raising her hand in celebration when she won her first game to reduce the arrears to 3-1.
Iga Swiatek did not ease the pressure and wrapped it up in just over an hour when Riske's backhand sailed long.
She is on the longest winning run since Serena Williams bagged 34 consecutive victories in 2013 - still a far cry, however, from Martina Navratilova's all-time record of 74 from 1984.
Swiatek has also now won 44 of the last 45 sets she has played and is undefeated since losing to former French Open champion Jelena Ostapenko in Dubai in February, having won a set 6-0 on 15 occasions this year.
The seventh seed Aryna Sabalenka, 11th seed Jessica Pegula and Qinwen Zheng also reached third round on Thursday. Sabalenka beat Madison Brengle 6-1, 6-3, Pegula beat Anhelina Kalinina 6-1, 5-7, 6-4, Qinwen Zheng beat Simona Halep 2-6, 6-2, 6-1.
Moreover, Elena Rybakina beat Katie Volynets 6-4, 6-0, Katie Volynets beat Anna Karolína Schmiedlova 6-3, 7-5, Madison Keys beat Caroline Garcia 6-4, 7-6 (3), Camila Giorgi beat Yulia Putintseva 6-3, 7-5, 20th seed Daria Kasatkina beat Fernanda Contreras Gomez 6-0, 6-3, Danka Kovinic beat Anna Karolína Schmiedlova 6-3, 7-5, Shelby Rogers beat 9th seed Danielle Collins 6-4, 6-3 in other second round matches.
No. 8 Casper Ruud also reached the third round for the third year in a row after beating Emil Ruusuvuori of Finland 6-3, 6-4, 6-2.
In other men's second round matches of the day, 12th seed Hubert Hurkacz beat Marco Cecchinato 6-1, 6-4, 6-2, Cristian Garín beat Ilya Ivashka 6-3, 7-6, 4-6, 6-3, Mackenzie McDonald beat Nikoloz Basilashvili 6-3, 6-1, 6-4, Lorenzo Sonego beat João Sousa 7-6, 6-3, 6-4, 20th seed Marin Cilic beat Márton Fucsovics 4-6, 6-4, 6-2, 6-3, Hugo Gaston beat Pedro Cachín 6-4, 6-2, 6-4, David Goffin beat Frances Tiafoe 3-6, 7-6, 6-2, 6-4, Miomir Kecmanovic beat Alexander Bublik 4-6, 7-5, 6-2, 6-1, Holger Rune beat Henri Laaksonen 6-2, 6-3, 6-3. Agencies
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