Defending champion Swiatek ousted by Collins at Italian Open

Iga Swiatek crashed out of the Italian Open to American Danielle Collins after a 6-1 7-5 third-round loss Saturday in a significant upset that can value the Pole the world No. 2 rating because the protection of her French Open title looms.

Swiatek held a commanding 7-1 head-to-head report in opposition to Collins earlier than the competition, and one more early defeat doesn’t bode effectively for the 23-year-old, who has not received a event since her fourth triumph at Roland Garros final 12 months.

“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 stated. “I feel like I applied that today, to the match.”

5-time Grand Slam champion Swiatek went 5-0 down within the opening set earlier than getting on the board to keep away from a bagel.

Collins was deadly from the baseline, mixing it up with forehand and backhand service return winners as she picked aside Swiatek’s serve in a gap set that was one-way visitors.

The second set was stage at 4-4 as Swiatek confirmed flashes of brilliance, however 31-year-old 2022 Australian Open runner-up Collins confirmed no mercy, sealing victory in a single hour and 44 minutes when a return went huge.

Collins fired 32 winners and transformed six of eight break factors whereas Swiatek, who had received the event 3 times within the final 4 years, made 22 unforced errors.

Swiatek has misplaced 9 matches this 12 months — as many as in all of 2024 — and has not reached a clay-court ultimate forward of her bid later this month to retain the French Open title.

“It hasn’t been easy,” she instructed reporters. “For sure, I’m doing something wrong. So I need to just regroup and change some stuff. I had some advice from the team, I’ll just try to do this.

“I feel I simply wasn’t there, current, to struggle and to compete [against Collins]. I centered on errors. It is my mistake, and I am not doing issues proper. So the main focus is on the unsuitable issues from my aspect, and I will attempt to change that.

“I’m not able to play my game. I’ll just try to change my mindset a little bit.”