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.