It was a rather tricky round of 16 for Iga Swiatek, who in the end however prevailed with a score of 6-1 4-6 6-4 over Karolina Muchova, qualifying for the quarterfinals of the WTA 1000 tournament in Montreal.
The Polish tennis player is chasing the first title of her career in Canada, which could be worth her counter-overtaking on Aryna Sabalenka at the head of the WTA Race.
At the press conference, Swiatek commented on the match against Muchova, analyzing the various stages of the challenge.
The words of Iga Swiatek in the press conference
The 22-year-old Polish talked about the difficulties during the second set.
She explained: "I definitely had some ups and downs and I felt it. I made some mistakes in the second set. Karolina is the type of player who takes advantage of these opportunities and situations, and she also put pressure in these moments, but I wanted to reset and face the third set with new energy and move a little better. I don't honestly know what the main difference was, but I just tried to be more proactive."
The 4-time Grand Slam champion took advantage of the rain interruption after the second set to reset and return to the court to finish the job.
Iga added: "I knew I didn't have to change much. It's just a matter of atmosphere and momentum. I knew I played the first set with great confidence. So I reminded myself of my key tactics and what I needed to do to win against Karolina, and that's it. I didn't want to analyze the situation too much.
I think the hardest thing to manage was how to get the adrenaline going. I still have a bit of jet lag, so I definitely need to refocus after such a long day. But, on the other hand, sometimes, when the conditions are more difficult, it's easier because you jump in and don't think about other things."
The Pole then underlined how she doesn't look at who she will have to face in the next match, but focuses on herself: "I've played with so many different players this season that it doesn't matter to me. I'll definitely have my tactics, but I have to focus about myself and what I want to do on the court."
In the quarterfinals, the opponent of the world number one will be the American Danielle Collins.
