Defending champion Iga Swiatek took another step towards her Wimbledon title defense, as the Pole had a comfortable straight-sets win over Karolina Pliskova in the second round. Her dominant performance drew praise from the great Martina Navratilova, who was on BBC commentary, but the Pole did not agree with the nine-time Wimbledon champion’s assessment.

“If I were her coach, I would want to get more spin into her shots, but she was great today; her returns were amazing, so A+ from me. Today, she really looked like a defending Wimbledon champion”, said Navratilova. She was not wrong, as the Pole broke Pliskova’s serve six times and won over sixty percent of the return points. However, when Navratilova’s comments about the Pole were put forward during her on-court interview, she thanked her for them but did not agree with her comment.

“I don’t know if it was an A+. sometimes it was a tricky game,” said Swiatek during the on-court interview. “Especially with the wind, sometimes the balls were really low and far away from you, especially in the last game. I felt like I played so many dirty shots, not really controlling that much, but if you keep your margins, it goes in. So not really A+, but a B, I would say.”

Coming into the second round, Swiatek faced an opponent who was a former World No.1 and a Wimbledon runner-up. However, the Pole had a great start, securing a 4-0 lead in the first set in short order, and went on to win it 6-1. However, in recent matches, she has been susceptible in the second sets, where opponents have mounted comebacks, especially by attacking her serve. A similar pattern started to unfold as Pliskova broke first in the second set, taking a 2-0 lead.

Swiatek has felt the pressure in such situations in recent times, as was evident even in her first-round match at SW19. However, on this occasion, she raised her level, winning four consecutive games, which seemed to be the match-defining period for the Pole. She broke one more time, winning the second set 6-3, and advancing to the third round.

The use of topspin shots has been a topic of discussion for Swiatek over the last two years, as the Pole has attempted to switch her style to accommodate faster surfaces, which have led to her winning titles at Wimbledon and Cincinnati last year, both of which are among the fastest courts on the calendar. However, Navratilova is not off her point, as Swiatek can use her agile movement across the court to play topspin-heavy shots on grass, which will enable the Pole to play to her greatest strength.

This win is significant for Swiatek, given how emotionally charged she was after her first-round win to begin her title defense.

Iga Swiatek Turns It Around Big Time After Wimbledon First-Round Blues

Swiatek had a scrappy start to her Wimbledon defense, as she had a thrilling three-set battle against Taylor Townsend. The Pole started strong, winning the first set 6-1, but, as she has in recent times, Swiatek lost her rhythm in the second set, making 16 unforced errors, which saw her American opponent win it. At the start of the third set, the Pole went through a long game, saving break points, which gave her the foundation to get the break of serve later to close the match out. The match was emotionally stressful for Swiatek, who broke down in tears after it was over.

Given the scenes in her first round, it was important for Swiatek to secure a strong win to get her title defense back on track and boost her confidence. The Pole has felt the pressure in recent times, as was evident in her press conference after her French Open loss against Marta Kostyuk. However, this win against a strong grass-court player like Pliskova will help Swiatek in the latter stages of the event, and especially in her next match against Alexandra Eala.

Swiatek has faced Eala twice last year, with the head-to-head tied at 1-1. Eala came to prominence when she beat the Pole in Miami last year, following which she also pushed Swiatek on clay in Madrid, with the former World No.1 edging the Filipino in a three-set battle. Eala has been in good form at SW19 this year, having beaten the likes of Renata Zarazua and Maya Joint, with the Australian being at an all-time high following her win over Serena Williams. The match between Swiatek and Eala could be a close contest, with the defending champion the favorite.