Wimbledon 2024: Iga Swiatek says it is ‘not that easy to have this baggage on your shoulders’ as hot streak continues – Eurosport

Iga Swiatek moved into the third round of Wimbledon with an impressive win over Petra Martic.

The world No. 1 came through in straight sets – 6-4 6-3 – against the Croatian, who took a medical timeout midway through the first set and whose movement appeared somewhat compromised thereafter.

Swiatek, still only 23, has a remarkable palmares in the game already, but Wimbledon is one tournament that she has rarely reached the latter stages of.

She has just a sole quarter-final to her name at SW19, having lost at that stage to Elina Svitolina last year.

Talking on court following her victory, Swiatek was asked about her winning streak, which now extends to 21 matches, having not lost since Stuttgart in April.

She said: “It’s not the first time that I’m going into this tournament with a streak, but it’s not that easy to have this baggage on your shoulders.

“This year it feels different, I don’t feel like everybody’s focussing on it. Two years ago, for sure it was kind of harder, when it was like 30-something matches.

“I know that I’m playing on a different surface, I have different challenges here and I’m focussing on them and not the statistics.

“I want to get better here on grass so that’s my main goal and I don’t feel like I need to prove anything because it’s a totally different story.

“I’m starting with a blank space and going with it.”

She added: “I feel like I am doing progress, especially on the practice court. Now my goal is to implement it in matches. I feel like it should be easier and easier every match.

“I have really low expectations, I’m just focussing on the work and I guess the results will come after.”

After recently winning the French Open for a third year in succession, Swiatek was once again bringing momentum onto the grass, and – as ever – she showed maximum intensity from ball one on Centre Court.

Regrettably, Martic was not able to do the same, as she was forced into her medical timeout at 4-3 down, appearing to struggle with an issue on her lower left side.

She was, however, able to continue in the match, but she could not stem the growing power of Swiatek’s groundstrokes, as the Pole broke at 5-4 ahead to take the opening set.

Swiatek’s tally of 16 winners hinted at where the set was won and lost, and the top seed continued in the same vein in set two, getting a quick early hold on the board.

Martic, despite continuing to move gingerly at times, remained level with the Pole throughout the opening skirmishes, but was broken at 4-3 down, meaning the Pole just had to serve it out.

Swiatek did not pass up that opportunity, holding to love to land her victory and set up a clash with the unseeded Yulia Putintseva, after the latter beat Katerina Siniakova.