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United Cup: Swiatek wins season opener, Skatov ranges tie for Kazakhstan towards Poland
World No. 1 Iga Swiatek confirmed no indicators of rust in her first match of the 2023 season, defeating Yulia Putintseva 6-1 6-3 on the United Cup and giving Poland a 1-0 lead however Timofey Skatov later registered a win to degree the tie for Kazakhstan, right here on Saturday.
Brisbane: World No. 1 Iga Swiatek confirmed no indicators of rust in her first match of the 2023 season, defeating Yulia Putintseva 6-1 6-3 on the United Cup and giving Poland a 1-0 lead however Timofey Skatov later registered a win to degree the tie for Kazakhstan, right here on Saturday.
With Polish nice Agnieszka Radwanska trying on from the captain’s field, Swiatek wanted simply three video games earlier than discovering the rhythm and vary that made her the runaway 2022 WTA Tour Participant of the 12 months.
Putintseva earned an early breakpoint likelihood in Swiatek’s first sport, however the Pole coolly erased it with pinpoint accuracy.
“I’m fairly pleased with my efficiency. First matches of the season are all the time rusty. I used to be blissful that within the vital moments I used to be actually composed,” Swiatek mentioned.
Underneath strain once more whereas serving at 1-1, 0/30, Swiatek discovered one other gear to reel off 12 consecutive factors to construct a 4-1 lead. Having made six unforced errors within the first three video games, Swiatek would make only one for the remainder of the set, pocketing the set after 27 minutes.
Swiatek underlined her popularity because the tour’s preeminent front-runner within the second set. After holding Putintseva at bay within the early video games, Swiatek broke to 3-2 and held her result in win after 64 minutes.
The 21-year outdated Swiatek completed the match with 22 groundstroke winners — 17 on the forehand alone — to simply 5 for Putintseva. The victory prolonged Swiatek’s head-to-head file towards Putintseva to 2-0.
However, Timofey Skatov leveled the tie with a gruelling 7-6(7), 6-2 victory towards Daniel Michalski. The primary set proved crucial, with lengthy, grinding rallies that led to the match lasting two hours and 11 minutes.
“It was a extremely powerful match, however truly my captain’s not blissful as a result of he mentioned I performed too lengthy,” Skatov mentioned in reference to Kazakhstan enjoying captain Alexander Bublik, who laughed within the staff zone.
“Right now’s new 12 months and we have now to have fun a bit! However okay, I attempted to play as quick as doable,” he added.
World No. 142 Skatov saved all 5 break factors he confronted towards Michalski to earn his first win on the United Cup. The 21-year-old had misplaced his first No. 2 males’s singles match of the week in three units towards Switzerland’s Marc-Andrea Huesler.
The tie will proceed Sunday night when Bublik faces Polish star Hubert Hurkacz within the No. 1 males’s singles match. Hurkacz leads the pair’s ATP Head to Head sequence 3-1. Poland’s Magda Linette will then play crowd favorite Zhibek Kulambayeva within the No. 2 ladies’s singles match earlier than a doable decider within the combined doubles inside Pat Rafter Enviornment.
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