By Richard Pagliaro | @Tennis_Now | Thursday, Could 2, 2024
Iga Swiatek owns sufficient weapons to fill her Tecnifibre racquet bag.
World No. 1 Swiatek is among the sport’s speediest gamers, possesses a hellacious topspin forehand, flat backhand and assorted 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 at the moment’s Mutua Madrid Open semifinals, the 2017 US Open finalist detailed the problem of going through Swiatek.
The four-time Grand Slam champion’s constant depth, mixed with the actual fact she’s so expert hitting the ball on the rise, squeezes each house and response time for opponents.
“I feel she would not look like she’s ever actually going for that a lot, however I used to be additionally actually impressed at the moment along with her depth and her shot placement,” Keys stated of Swiatek. “I imply, each single ball was mainly an inch from the road, and you may’t actually ever achieve any court docket when that is the ball that is coming at you.”
Pinned behind the baseline by Swiatek’s topspin can pressure opponents to tug the set off too rapidly and play low-percentage drives down the road, Keys stated.
Consequently, as Swiatek grows sharper, opponents error counts can pile up as they go greater.
“So I really feel like she makes her opponents begin going for a bit of bit an excessive amount of in making an attempt to do issues that they do not actually have the ball for,” Keys stated. “I feel, , you win a degree or two, and you must work so arduous to try this or you must play such an ideal level to win the purpose that it is arduous to constantly try this when each ball that is coming again at you is, , it is coming fast, it is coming deep, it is coming with good margin.”
Picture credit score: Porsche Grand Prix Tennis Fb
