Iga Swiatek cruises past Nadia Podoroska into US Open third round

A commanding win on the Grandstand

On day five of the US Open at Flushing Meadows, eighth-seeded Iga Swiatek defeated Argentina's Nadia Podoroska 6-3, 6-2 in the second round on the Grandstand court. Swiatek held serve to love three times early in the first set, but faced a brief wobble while serving for it, slipping to 0-40 before recovering to close it out. In the second set she opened up a double break, capitalising on Podoroska's unforced errors, and sealed the match with a powerful forehand winner that forced her opponent into an error.

Speaking afterwards, Swiatek said she remembered facing Podoroska before, in what she called an important tournament for her six years ago. "I knew how her ball would feel on the racquet. A lot can change in six years, so I was preparing the same as I was before any other match," she said, adding that she feels better at this Grand Slam than at any other major this year.

Context

For Podoroska, who according to reporting from the match has won only one Grand Slam match in more than two years because of injury, this was another setback in her attempt to rediscover her earlier form. Swiatek, by contrast, struggled with nerves for much of the season before winning the Canadian Open in Toronto last month — her first WTA Tour title of the year. The six-time Grand Slam champion will next face either Britain's Harriet Dart or the Czech Republic's Marie Bouzkova.

Swiatek's win was one of several notable results on day five at Flushing Meadows. Elsewhere, Naomi Osaka faced Katerina Siniakova, Felix Auger-Aliassime played Karen Khachanov, and Madison Keys took on Anna Bondar. Top seed Alexander Zverev and 2023 champion Coco Gauff were both scheduled to play in the evening session.