Iga Swiatek Dominates Pavlyuchenkova After Chat with Serena

Iga Swiatek credited her pre-match conversation with tennis legend Serena Williams for giving her a “positive kick” before she dominated Anastasia Pavlyuchenkova in the third round of the US Open. The Polish star, who won the tournament in 2022 cruised through the match, defeating the Russian 6-4, 6-2, and did not face a single break point during the night session at Arthur Ashe Stadium.

Swiatek, the top seed revealed that she briefly but inspiringly chatted with 23-time Grand Slam champion Williams in the players’ gym before the match. “It was really nice that she approached me because I would never have had the courage to do that,” Swiatek said, acknowledging that despite their past encounters, she still finds Williams “star-striking.” She added that the interaction “inspired me and gave me a positive kick.”

Despite delivering a near-flawless performance against Pavlyuchenkova, Iga Swiatek emphasized that she still sees areas for improvement in her game. “My tennis is not perfect,” the five-time Grand Slam winner admitted, noting that even as the world number one, she feels there’s still work to be done. Pavlyuchenkova, eager to avoid another 6-0, 6-0 defeat against Swiatek, fought hard in the first set.

However, she couldn’t recover after dropping serve in the opening game. Swiatek elevated her level in the second set, committing just one unforced error and breaking Pavlyuchenkova twice before securing the win. Swiatek now prepares to face Liudmila Samsonova in the fourth round after the Russian 16th seed quickly dispatched American Ashlyn Krueger 6-1, 6-1.

In other US Open action, Jessica Pegula reinforced her title hopes with a convincing 6-3, 6-3 victory over Spain’s Jessica Bouzas Maneiro. Karolina Muchova and Caroline Wozniacki also advanced to the fourth round with straight-set wins.