Iga Świątek’s streak of making the second round at Grand Slam tournaments nearly came to an end while facing Dutch challenger Suzan Lamens at the US Open on Thursday. Świątek, the world No. 2, had to fight through a tense match before narrowly winning with a 6-1, 4-6, 6-4 victory.
Świątek took the opening set 6-1, firing nine winners and two aces; but momentum shifted in the second set with a rash of errors — including 12 unforced mistakes and two costly double faults — opening the door for Lamens, who capitalized to take the set 6-4 and even the match.
Świątek jumping out to an early lead in the final set, but Lamens, 25, battled back to trim the deficit to 5-4 before Świątek finally sealed the match. Lamens had a spectacular showing, having never advanced beyond qualifying in a major. Her breakthrough came in Melbourne earlier this year, where she reached the second round of the Australian Open, but Thursday’s performance stands out as the highlight of her Grand Slam career to date.
Świątek will go on to continue her pursuit of another major title, since her breakthrough French Open crown in 2020. She has since collected five Grand Slam trophies and held the world No. 1 ranking from April 2022 to September 2023.
Next up for Świątek is a third-round matchup against Russia’s Anna Kalinskaya on Friday.
Editorial credit: OSCAR GONZALEZ FUENTES / Shutterstock.com
