DUBAI: Iga Swiatek watched spellbound from the packed stands of the Rod Laver Arena as her idol Rafael Nadal authored a titanic come back to clinch a record 21st Grand Slam title at the Australian Open last month.
The 20-year-old Pole, whose admiration of the Spaniard was amply showcased at Melbourne Park, demonstrated some of that spark against Russian Daria Kasatkina in the first round of the Dubai Duty Free Tennis championship on Monday.
Swiatek, the world No. 9, champion at Roland Garros two years ago, pulled off successive straight-set wins in as many tournaments against Kasatkina, punctuating her 6-1, 6-2 result in 67 minutes.
Swiatek argued that Nadal's win in Melbourne was achieved in phases. It went through seasons, defying reason. "In the beginning, I thought it's going to be hard for Rafa, playing that way. To get the score around, to actually start winning. Especially with Daniil being so confident and going forward," she said. "Rafa made some little mistakes. But you could see that he was trying to fight through it."
"Then during the match, I thought, if he's going to win, it's going to be a mind-blowing win. He's going to show why he's Rafa, why he won so many Grand Slams."
Swiatek, who shared a court with the 21-time major winner in Paris last year, was also striking ambitious line balls perched on the edge of her seat. "Only a few players can do that," she said.
