Iga Swiatek survives mistake-ridden start to advance to US Open

Polish No. 1 Iga Swiatek overcame a series of unforced errors to secure a place in the second round of the US Open on Tuesday with a 6-4, 7-6 (6) win over Russia’s Kamilla Rakhimova.

Swiatek, the 2022 US Open winner, converted three of six break point opportunities but also made 41 unforced errors en route to victory in 1 hour and 52 minutes at Arthur Ashe Stadium.

The five-time Grand Slam champion built a 4-0 lead on a double break and looked set for an easy win, but Rakhimova consolidated a break and moved just one game closer before Swiatek decided the first set with her third love hold of the match.

Swiatek consolidated an early break in the second set with another love hold to make it 3-1, but she suddenly began to show signs of frustration as her shots went wide and Rakhimova refused to give in.

“At the beginning I felt good, but then I got really tense… so I tried to get back into my game,” Swiatek said in her on-court interview after the match.

Swiatek had a chance to serve out the match, but Rakhimova broke through to level the second set at 5-5. In the ensuing tiebreaker, Swiatek was one point away from being forced into a third set when Rakhimova took a 6-3 lead. But Swiatek recovered to win the next five points, and then sealed the match when her opponent missed a backhand.

Swiatek improved to 22-1 in first-round matches at Grand Slams, including 6-0 at the US Open. She will now face either Australia’s Daria Saville or Japan’s Ena Shibahara.

The Associated Press and Reuters contributed to this report.