Iga Swiatek did not look at her fluent best, but still managed to beat World No.63 Caty McNally in the Round of 64 at the Italian Open, overcoming a brief second-set wobble to move into the next round. The Polish star faced several tricky moments during the contest, but her experience and composure ultimately helped her emerge victorious.
Swiatek started the match in a dominant fashion, dictating rallies from the baseline and repeatedly pushing McNally behind the court with heavy topspin forehands. She raced through the opening set 6-1, breaking the American’s serve multiple times and barely allowing her opponent any rhythm. McNally initially struggled to cope with Swiatek’s depth and consistency, especially during the longer rallies.
MCNALLY MAKES SWIATEK WORK HARD
The second set, however, turned into a much tighter battle. McNally significantly raised her level, attacking the net more frequently and capitalising on a few loose moments from Swiatek. The American’s aggressive approach paid dividends as she edged the set 7-6 in a tense tiebreak, briefly shifting the momentum of the contest.
Despite the setback, Swiatek responded with maturity in the deciding set. She quickly regained control by improving her first-serve accuracy and reducing her unforced errors. Swiatek won 54 percent of the total points in the match and converted six break points, underlining her superiority in crucial moments.
McNally fought hard throughout the contest, but Swiatek’s experience and consistency on clay ultimately proved decisive. Swiatek will next face the winner of the clash between Emma Navarro and Elisabetta Cocciaretto.
SWIATEK FIGHTING HARD
The former World No.1 has endured an unusually difficult clay-court season by her lofty standards, struggling to rediscover the dominance that once made her almost unbeatable on the surface. She arrived on clay following inconsistent results earlier in 2026 and failed to build momentum during the European swing.
Her struggles reached a painful point at the Madrid Open, where she was forced to retire during her third-round clash against Ann Li. Swiatek lost the opening set 7-6(4), bounced back to win the second 6-2, but was trailing 0-3 in the decider when she decided she could not continue.
The Polish star looked visibly distressed, called for medical assistance during the match, and eventually left the court in tears. With the French Open fast approaching, Swiatek will now hope to regain the form that once helped her win a hat-trick of Roland Garros titles.
– Ends
