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Swiatek begins French Open defence with straight-sets win / Photo: © AFP
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Swiatek begins French Open defence with straight-sets win
Iga Swiatek launched her bid for a fourth straight Roland Garros title on Monday with a 6-3, 6-3 win over Slovakia's Rebecca Sramkova.
Swiatek extended her winning run at Roland Garros to 22 matches, but she has dropped to fifth in the world after a year-long trophy drought.
The Pole broke for a 4-3 lead after a lengthy seventh game, and then again to wrap up the opening set on Court Philippe Chatrier.
She fell 2-0 behind to start the second but got back on serve before securing another break to see off the 42nd-ranked Sramkova in straight sets for the second Grand Slam in a row.
"It wasn't an easy match because she played with a lot of freedom and I felt she was going for her shots," said Swiatek, who also beat Sramkova in the second round of this year's Australian Open.
"I knew I needed to stay proactive and try to use my weapons. I'm happy with my performance and it was a solid match."
Swiatek, a four-time French Open winner whose record in Paris now stands at 36-2, advances to a clash of past US Open champions, with Britain's Emma Raducanu her opponent in the second round.
Raducanu overcame China's Wang Xinyu in three sets in her first match at the French Open since her debut in 2022.
N. Nilsson--BTZ
