Africa-Press – South-Africa. There are few benefits to losing in the semifinals of a Grand Slam, but when Iga Swiatek had her fingers prised off the French Open trophy, it had the unexpected benefit of lifting pressure off her shoulders heading into Wimbledon.
Swiatek crushed Switzerland’s Belinda Bencic 6-2 6-0 to reach the Wimbledon final on Thursday after years of trying and failing to make a major impact at the grass court Grand Slam.
She has made no secret of her preference for clay courts, and her four French Open titles were clear evidence that the red dirt in Paris was more to her liking than Wimbledon’s lawns.
Her defeat to Aryna Sabalenka in the French Open semifinals in early June ended her chances of a fourth straight title in Paris and ensured few were tipping her for a career-best run at Wimbledon.
“I think I’m not going to have seasons where the pressure is not going to be kind of forced on me from the expectations from the outside,” she said after setting up a Saturday showdown against American Amanda Anisimova.
“Every year I guess it’s kind of the same but I feel sometimes I can handle it better or ignore it. Sometimes a bit worse.
“I think it’s easier if you haven’t won Roland Garros and also if you had more time to practice. If I win Roland Garros and then I come here and everybody asks me, they put super high expectations.”
Five-times Grand Slam winner Swiatek was in a league of her own on a scorching Centre Court on Thursday, blitzing past Tokyo Olympic champion Bencic in the blink of an eye.
She has dropped only one set in her run to the final and suddenly looks at home on grass, a surface she has previously struggled to master.
“Every point is different and every match I need to adjust my game but for sure I feel like I improved my movement,” she said, summing up what had changed for her on the surface.
“I’m serving well and I feel confident, so I’m going for it and it’s working so I will keep doing that.”
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