Teenagers Serve Up A Sunday Special

Swiatek Stuns Halep; Sinner Shock For Zverev

- Prajwal Hegde

Iga Swiatek is 19 and ranked 54 in the world. She’s gifted and she’s got a game. Powerful, with soft hands and an intriguing sense of the court, all beautifully cemented by the confidence that springs a late-evening sparkle. Top-seeded Simona Halep saw it from up close at Roland Garros, where she crashed to a 1-6, 2-6 fourth-round loss in 68 minutes. Swiatek didn’t just produce a shock result, she shellacked her in-form opponent, drilling 30 winners past the sturdiest defence in the women’s game.

Last year, Swiatek fell to Halep in a mere 45 minutes at the same stage. The Romanian, then the defending champion, went on to lose to teen Amanda Anisimova. “I kinda felt maybe we can do the same scenario (this time), but change the names,” said the Pole, who goes up against qualifier Martina Trevisan in the last eight.