World number two Iga Swiatek romped into the third round of the Australian Open on Thursday to set up a high-profile clash with 2021 US Open champion Emma Raducanu.
While Poland’s Swiatek was racing past world number 49 Rebecca Sramkova 6-0, 6-2 on Rod Laver Arena, Britain’s Raducanu was entering uncharted waters on the nearby Kia Arena.
Raducanu had reached the second round in Melbourne on three previous occasions but never advanced further.
She was forced to battle in a topsy-turvy match against her good friend Amanda Anisimova, both players exchanging multiple breaks before she came through 6-3, 7-5.
On Melbourne Park’s centre court, Swiatek broke the Slovakian’s opening service game and never looked back.
Sramkova was playing in a Grand Slam second round for the first time and had no answer to the precision and power of the Pole. Swiatek won 64 per cent of points off the Slovakian’s first serve in an opening set that lasted 27 minutes, the Pole dropping just 10 points.
Sramkova finally got on the board in the eighth game of the match to huge cheers from the sympathetic crowd. But Swiatek remained in control, closing out a comprehensive victory after exactly one hour.
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