Iga Swiatek turns Rome success into Roland Garros roadmap

TL;DR

Iga Swiatek overcame a challenging match against Caty McNally at the Italian Open, winning 6-1, 6-7, 6-3. This victory comes as she continues to regain her fitness after an illness-related withdrawal in Madrid.

Key points

Iga Swiatek won her first match at the Italian Open
She defeated Caty McNally in three sets
Swiatek is recovering from an illness that caused her to withdraw in Madrid

Iga SwiatekCaty McNallyItalian OpenMadrid Open

Photo by Noushad Variyattiyakkal/SOPA Images/LightRocket via Getty Images

Iga Swiatek had to work hard to get through her first match at the Italian Open on Friday, coming through a tough opener against Caty McNally.

Still getting back to full fitness after withdrawing from her second match in Madrid due to illness, Swiatek needed three sets to beat the American.

The world number one took the opening set before McNally fought back to force a decider, where Swiatek pulled away late for a 6-1, 6-7, 6-3 win.

By her own high standards, it’s been a slow start to the season. She hasn’t reached a semifinal yet and is still looking for her first title of the year.

This is Swiatek’s last tournament before Roland Garros, so she’ll be hoping to put some wins together and build confidence ahead of the French Open.

Photo by Robert Prange/Getty Images

Swiatek reflects on her preparation for Roland Garros

When asked how she feels about her game heading into Roland Garros, Swiatek was honest:

“Yeah, for sure I wanted to play more matches.

“It’s something that I feel like I’m lacking. I want to play more. There are some moments on the match where you can see I’m a little bit rusty with playing points.

“I think I need more matches to gain some confidence in different situations. I’m happy that I won this one today ’cause it gives me another chance.”

This match against McNally marked only her fifth appearance of the clay season across three tournaments.