By Richard Pagliaro | @Tennis_Now | Thursday, Might 2, 2024
Iga Swiatek owns sufficient weapons to fill her Tecnifibre racquet bag.
World No. 1 Swiatek is without doubt one of the sport’s speediest gamers, possesses a hellacious topspin forehand, flat backhand and diversified serve.
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The highest-seeded Swiatek’s most underrated weapon?
Swiatek is a champion compressor, says Madison Keys.
Within the aftermath of Swiatek’s 6-1, 6-3 sweep of Keys in as we speak’s Mutua Madrid Open semifinals, the 2017 US Open finalist detailed the problem of dealing with Swiatek.
The four-time Grand Slam champion’s constant depth, mixed with the very fact she’s so expert hitting the ball on the rise, squeezes each area and response time for opponents.
“I believe she does not appear to be she’s ever actually going for that a lot, however I used to be additionally actually impressed as we speak along with her depth and her shot placement,” Keys mentioned of Swiatek. “I imply, each single ball was mainly an inch from the road, and you’ll’t actually ever achieve any courtroom when that is the ball that is coming at you.”
Pinned behind the baseline by Swiatek’s topspin can power opponents to tug the set off too rapidly and play low-percentage drives down the road, Keys mentioned.
Consequently, as Swiatek grows sharper, opponents error counts can pile up as they go larger.
“So I really feel like she makes her opponents begin going for a little bit bit an excessive amount of in attempting to do issues that they do not actually have the ball for,” Keys mentioned. “I believe, you recognize, you win a degree or two, and you need to work so exhausting to do this or you need to play such an important level to win the purpose that it is exhausting to constantly do this when each ball that is coming again at you is, you recognize, it is coming fast, it is coming deep, it is coming with good margin.”
Picture credit score: Porsche Grand Prix Tennis Fb
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