Iga Świątek started her campaign at the WTA 1000 tournament in Rome with a dominant performance, defeating Italian Elisabetta Cocciaretto 6-1, 6-0 in the second round. The victory took under an hour on Wednesday.
The defending champion showed control throughout the match, conceding only one game to her opponent. Świątek is aiming to maintain her ranking points gained from winning the title in Rome last year.
Cocciaretto, ranked No. 82 in the world, was playing Świątek for the first time. She reached the second round after defeating Elina Awanesian in three sets Awanesian win.
The tournament in Rome serves as a key preparation event for the upcoming French Open at Roland Garros. Świątek is expected to be a strong contender in Paris.
Świątek's appearance in Rome follows her semifinal exit at the WTA 1000 event in Madrid, where she lost to Coco Gauff. That result marked a rare one-sided defeat for the Polish player.
Maintaining her ranking position is important for Świątek, with players like Coco Gauff and Jessica Pegula close behind in the rankings. Rome offers significant points toward that goal.
Next up for Świątek in the third round is Danielle Collins. Collins defeated Elena Gabriela Ruse to advance Collins advances.
Other Polish players competing in the Rome events include Magda Linette and Magdalena Fręch in the women's draw and Hubert Hurkacz in the men's draw Other Poles schedule.
