Iga Swiatek has won six grand slam titles, but hasn’t won one in Melbourne. Her bid to change that and win a title here, so the world No.2 becomes the third-youngest woman in the Open era to win a career grand slam, is looking shaky after she lost the first set to Elena Rybakina 7-5.
The world No.5 from Kazakhstan knows how to win here. She made the Open final two years ago and looks the more composed of the pair.
Iga Swiatek.Credit: AP
Both players started with breaks of serve, but since the early stages, Rybakina’s serve is becoming more of a weapon.
Interestingly, she nailed fewer than one in two of her first serves in the first set, but when she did, she won 93 per cent of her points. Clearly, if she lifts the ratio of first serves in, she is a good thing to close out this match in two sets.
Swiatek left the court to change her clothes in the break between sets to change the momentum. Why not? She needs to change something up.