Iga Swiatek explains what made her win over Caty McNally so tough

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Iga Swiatek overcame Caty McNally, 6-1, 6-7, 6-3, to advance to the third round of the Italian Open.

The defending champion wasn’t at her sharpest, but managed to push through as McNally put up a stronger fight in the second and third sets. She closed out the match without ever finding top gear.

Speaking after the match, Swiatek shared what was bothering her during her opening match in Rome.

Iga Swiatek struggled to adjust to the wind during her second-round match vs Caty McNally

Photo by Matthew Stockman/Getty Images

Speaking after the match, Swiatek gave her thoughts on how things went.

“For sure, it was a tough match. Caty [McNally] really played great,” she said.

“She was fighting for every ball and played some amazing shots in defence.

“I had to really stay patient.

“Some mistakes happened, especially when she played a bit slower, sometimes with the wind it was hard to adjust to the ball.

“It was not an easy match, but I’m happy I was solid at the end and in the important moments, and I kept it together, and at the end of the match, I was dictating.”

Swiatek went on to discuss what makes Rome such a unique challenge on tour.

“The most important thing is to get used to the conditions and get used to what you cannot do on this court,” she said.

“I remember many tough matches here, especially at the beginning of the tournament.

“You need to stay patient and fight for every point because the court is super slow, especially when it’s a bit colder than usual.