‘Matches like these give me confidence’

Iga Swiatek returns to Germany’s Eva Lys in Melbourne yesterday. Pic/Getty Images

Iga Swiatek showed no mercy as she ended "lucky loser" Eva Lys's historic run at the Australian Open on Monday, the World No. 2 marching into the quarter-finals 6-0, 6-1. There was to be no happy ending to Lys's incredible story against the ruthless five-time Grand Slam champion from Poland for a place in the semi-finals. "There's a lot to improve. I don't feel like I'm in my peak yet," said Swiatek, who has dropped only two games in her last two matches.

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"For sure, matches like that give me confidence and I feel like I'm playing a good game." Swiatek has a patchy record in Melbourne, only reaching the semi-finals once, in 2022, but warned she was in the mood this year. "I usually didn't feel comfortable at the Australian Open with my game," she said.

"But this year it's a bit better. So I'm just enjoying being on the court and off the court as well. Because for sure I have an amazing time here, and hopefully it's gonna last even longer." Lys fleetingly threatened another shock when she created two break points in the opening game, but Swiatek stepped up her pace to save both. From then on the result was inevitable and the former World No. 1 showed the gulf in class as she flattened the German in an hour.

WADA won't appeal in Iga doping case

The World Anti-Doping Agency said on Monday it will not appeal in the case of Iga Swiatek. Last year she accepted a one-month ban after testing positive for a banned substance.

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