Iga Swiatek began her Madrid Open campaign with a dominant 6-1, 6-2 win over Daria Snigur. This match marks a significant improvement following her recent performance at the Stuttgart Open.
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Iga Swiatek kicked off her Madrid Open campaign in impressive fashion, easing past Daria Snigur in straight sets.
After a disappointing showing at the Stuttgart Open, the world No. 1 looked much more assured in her opener in Spain, cruising to a 6-1, 6-2 victory.
Swiatek is now working under new coach Francisco Roig, who brings plenty of experience from his time alongside Rafael Nadal.
The first major adjustment Roig has made since replacing Wim Fissette involves changes to Swiatekâs service motion.
Though the changes didnât immediately pay off in Stuttgart, they seemed to click against Snigur as Swiatek posted a strong first serve win percentage of 78%.
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After the match, she spoke to Sky Sports, saying: âI was supposed to serve like that in Stuttgart, but it was on and off!
âSo, the last few days on the practice court I was really making sure my elbow was in the right position and I think today that was the first match where I felt it was how I wanted.
âThe serve was great. I need to get used to the movement and that was a good step forward.
The 24-year-old also touched on Snigurâs playing style, explaining: âIt was not easy because of the rhythm. She plays without any top spin and really low, so the ball stays down and sometimes it was hard to make anything out of it.
Swiatek added: âShe wanted to use the opportunity to play fast, but I controlled the pace and was solid enough.â
Iga Swiatek won her first match in the Madrid Open with a score of 6-1, 6-2 against Daria Snigur.
Iga Swiatek's new coach is Francisco Roig, who has previously worked with Rafael Nadal.
Iga Swiatek had a disappointing showing at the Stuttgart Open prior to her successful match in Madrid.
Swiatek's strong performance in Madrid suggests a positive turnaround in her season after her struggles at the Stuttgart Open.
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Asked about the challenge of adjusting to the new motion, Swiatek said: âIn Stuttgart I thought it was going to be a bit easier for my body to remember it on its own but, no, I still need to think about it a lot.
âHonestly, I was naive to think that way because one week is not enough for the body to remember the movements.
âI donât care that it is the middle of the season because maybe it wasnât that visible but we adjusted my serve a few times a year last year and it wasnât a comfortable situation for me when I needed to change something.
âBut still, the changes werenât what we wanted in the end, they were just steps forward. Now I feel like I have made a big change, but I can stay with it for the next years if it goes well and just adjust little things, so I have much more belief in it.
âHonestly, I did not feel comfortable in Indian Wells and Miami with my serve so honestly I think it was the best time, just because of the feeling. I did not care it was before the clay, just because I wanted to feel good on my serve.â
Swiatek will take on either Alycia Parks or Ann Li in her next match at Madrid Open.
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