Swiatek’s struggles continue as title defence in Rome ended by Collins

POLAND’S Iga Swiatek eyes a return during the Italian Open match against Danielle Collins of the US at the Foro Italico on Saturday.—Reuters

ROME: Holder Iga Swiatek crashed out of the Italian Open to American Danielle Collins after a 6-1, 7-5 third-round loss on Saturday in a major upset that will cost the Pole the world number two ranking as the defence of her French Open title looms.

Swiatek held a commanding 7-1 head-to-head record against Collins before the contest and yet another early defeat does not bode well for the 23-year-old, who has not won a tournament since her fourth triumph at Roland Garros last year.

“I played against Iga so many times ... When you play that many close matches and get this close and also play some of your best tennis and lose, I think you learn a lot,” Collins, 31, said. “I feel like I applied that today, to the match.”

In the fourth round, Collins will meet 16th seed Elina Svitolina of Ukraine, a 6-4, 3-6, 6-4 winner over American Hailey Baptiste, as the world number 35 hunts an unlikely second WTA 1000 title after winning in Miami last year.

Five-time Grand Slam champion Swiatek went 5-0 down in the opening set before getting on the board to avoid a bagel.

Collins was lethal from the baseline, mixing it up with forehand and backhand service return winners as she picked apart Swiatek’s serve in an opening set that was one-way traffic.

The second was level at 4-4 as Swiatek showed flashes of brilliance, but 31-year-old 2022 Australian Open runner-up Collins showed no mercy, sealing victory in one hour and 44 minutes when a return went wide.

Collins fired 32 winners and converted six of eight break points while Swiatek, who had won the tournament three times in the last four years, made 22 unforced errors.

Swiatek has lost nine matches this year — as many as in all of 2024 — while she has not reached a claycourt final ahead of her bid to retain the French Open title later this month.

Peyton Stearns came from behind and emerged from a tiebreaker to upset fellow American Madison Keys, the fifth seed, 2-6, 6-2, 7-6 (7/3). The difference in the tiebreaker was on serve, with Keys losing serve twice and Stearns holding serve.

Stearns will face the winner of the match between two unseeded players, Naomi Osaka of Japan and Czech Marie Bouzkova.

Diana Shnaider, the 13th seed, defeated Jaqueline Cristian of Romania in straight sets and will play the winner of the later match between third seed Jessica Pegula and Elise Mertens.

Sixth seed Jasmine Paolini delighted the Rome crowd by sweeping aside Ons Jabeur in straight sets 6-4, 6-3 and next will next play Jelena Ostapenko, who advanced on a walkover over Laura Siegemund of Germany.

Italian fans on centre court were given cause to celebrate in the morning by Rome-born Matteo Berrettini beating Jacob Fearnley in straight sets, 6-4, 7-6 (7/0) in his first match at his home tournament in four years.

Former Wimbledon finalist Berrettini, who withdrew from the Madrid Open with the latest in a long line of abdominal injuries, will face Madrid champion Casper Ruud in the third round with the Norwegian beating Alexander Bublik 6-4, 4-6, 6-3.

Andrey Rublev was dumped out at the first attempt by Hungary’s Fabian Marozsan, to continue his poor form since winning in Dubai back in February.

Fourth seed Taylor Fritz also exited after going down 7-6 (7/4), 7-6 (7/3) to fellow American Marcos Giron.

In Friday’s late action, Coco Gauff survived a scare, coming back from a set down to beat qualifier Victoria Mboko 3-6, 6-2, 6-1 — the women’s world number three advancing to play Magda Linette in the third round.

Reigning men’s champion Alexander Zverev strolled into the next round, beating Argentina’s Camilo Ugo Carabelli 6-2, 6-1 in the last match of the day on centre court.

Published in Dawn, May 11th, 2025

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