By Karolos Grohmann
PARIS (Reuters) -Four-time champion Iga Swiatek of Poland made light work of British Grand Slam winner Emma Raducanu in their French Open second round on Wednesday, notching up a 6-1 6-2 victory and stretching her winning run in Paris to 23 consecutive matches.
The world number five, looking to become the first woman in the professional era since 1968 to win four consecutive titles at the French Open, has now beaten the 2021 U.S. Open champion in all five of their meetings — all the wins coming in straight sets.
She will next meet either Czech Sara Bejlek or Jaqueline Cristian of Romania.
“I just wanted to play my game,” Swiatek said. “I felt good on court. I thought I can do what I had planned to, adjust to the conditions because it was windy. I am happy that I did that well and I am through.
“Probably the top spin that I play,” she said when asked about the reason for her success on the Parisian clay. “I love playing here. This place inspires me and makes me work harder. I am just ready to fight for it and compete.”
The 22-year-old Raducanu, whose best result this season has been a quarter-final spot in Miami, briefly kept up with Swiatek at the start, with the Pole making eight unforced errors in the first three games.
Swiatek, however, pulled herself together, breaking the Briton twice to quickly gobble up the first set.
Swiatek, who has unusually not won a title so far this season, broke her opponent again early in the second set. Raducanu, ranked 41st, did carve out three break opportunities of her own, when she was trailing 2-1, but could not convert any of them.
With her opponent keeping up the pressure, Raducanu, who was sick prior to her first-round game earlier in the week, was easy prey and lost the last three games on the trot as Swiatek wrapped up the win with a stunning backhand down the line on her second match point.
(Reporting by Karolos Grohmann; editing by Clare Fallon)
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