Swiatek survives scare in Toronto

A dominant start turns into a battle

Iga Swiatek breezed through the opening exchanges of her WTA Toronto second-round clash against Sara Bejlek, racing to a 6-0, 3-0 advantage in a mere 45 minutes. What looked destined to be a routine demolition, however, turned into something far more taxing before the Pole finally sealed a 6-0, 6-3 victory after an hour and 34 minutes on court.

First set perfection

Swiatek was ruthless from the outset. She won the opening point, broke Bejlek immediately, and never looked back, rattling off seven winners against just three unforced errors to claim a bagel set.

Bejlek fights back

The complexion of the match shifted in the second set. Swiatek squandered a chance to go 4-0 up, and Bejlek seized her opportunity, building momentum with a spectacular 19-stroke rally that produced the point of the match. When the Czech closed to 3-2, a gruelling 13-deuce game followed in which Swiatek was forced to save nine break points before finally holding serve.

Scrappy finish

Swiatek ultimately closed it out on her third match point, aided by a fortunate net cord. The 24 unforced errors she accumulated in the second set alone will concern her camp heading into the next round, where either 31st seed Donna Vekic or Viktorija Golubic awaits.