Swiatek overcomes McNally to reach Italian Open third round
Three-time champion Iga Swiatek moved into the third round of the Italian Open on Friday after a hard-fought 6-1, 6-7 (5/7), 6-3 victory over Caty McNally, News.Az reports, citing AFP.
Swiatek was broken in the opening game at the Foro Italico but quickly responded in dominant fashion, winning the next six games in a row to take control of the match against the 63rd-ranked American.
The Pole appeared to be heading toward a straightforward win when she went 4-2 up in the second set. However, McNally fought back strongly, breaking Swiatek twice as the Polish player served for the match, before going on to claim the tie-break and level the contest.
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In the deciding set, Swiatek again gained an early advantage, breaking for a 3-1 lead. McNally then battled back to level at 3-3, but Swiatek finished strongly, taking the final three games to secure her place in the next round, visibly relieved at the end.
“It was a tough match, Caty really played great,” Swiatek said.
“I had to be patient. For sure, some mistakes happened. It was not an easy match. I'm really happy I was solid at the end and in the important moments. I kept it together.”
Swiatek will next face either US 28th seed Emma Navarro or Italy’s Elisabetta Cocciaretto this weekend for a place in the last 16.
The Pole endured her earliest exit in five appearances in Madrid last month, when she retired in the third round due to a viral illness. She also exited at the same stage in Rome last year while defending her title.
A six-time Grand Slam champion, Swiatek has not won a clay-court tournament since capturing her fourth French Open title in 2024.
Elsewhere, Alexandra Eala of the Philippines advanced after defeating China’s 31st seed Wang Xinyu in straight sets.
Canadian 10th seed Victoria Mboko withdrew from the tournament on Friday due to illness and was replaced in the draw by Czech lucky loser Nikola Bartunkova.
Meanwhile, Novak Djokovic is preparing for his first clay-court appearance of the season, where he will face 20-year-old Croatian qualifier Dino Prizmic.
The 38-year-old Djokovic has not played since his defeat in the last 16 at Indian Wells in March. He has since withdrawn from tournaments in Miami, Monte Carlo, and Madrid while recovering from a shoulder injury.
By Nijat Babayev
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