“Either if I win or lose, I can see where my level is at”: Iga Swiatek expects major Naomi Osaka test in Rome

Iga Swiatek once again secured an imposing victory on clay courts, after crushing Elisabetta Cocciaretto 6-1, 6-0. Just 1 game conceded and a streak of 9 consecutive games to close out the match gave her passage through. The 3-time Rome Open champion advances to the fourth round, where a blockbuster clash against Naomi Osaka awaits her.

The former World No. 1 has struggled with her level during this season, still without titles and without even reaching semi-finals in any of the 6 previous tournaments she played this season. However, the victory over Cocciaretto is revitalising for the player who for several seasons earned the nickname of Queen of Clay – with 4 titles at French Open and a total of 10 on clay courts.

"I just wanted to be solid and focus on myself no matter what the score was," Swiatek said. "Sometimes at the end of the match it's easy for the opponent to let go and just go for it. So I wanted to just play as I planned and how I played the whole match, and at the end it worked. I really liked how I played today. My serve was good, I was opening up the court, so it was really nice."

The Pole will now focus her energy on the fourth-round clash against Osaka, a re-edition of their clash at Roland Garros two years ago – in which the Japanese star squandered match points and came close to dethroning the Queen of Paris.

Osaka meanwhile arrives with a more than interesting campaign on clay courts, a surface that historically has been more complicated for her to perform on. After overcoming her debut against Eva Lys in three sets, this time she comfortably defeated the 19th seed Diana Shnaider.

“I think it’s going to be a tough match,” Iga Swiatek said after learning about her upcoming clash against Osaka. “She is playing better on clay, I would say. Two years ago I could feel that at Roland-Garros. I’m going to prepare tactically, see how she plays now. We had a chance to practise in Madrid.”

The Pole leads the head-to-head 2-1, with their latest meeting being the memorable clash at the French Open, where Osaka served for the match at 5-4 and squandered a match point. It was the most complicated match for Swiatek during her Roland Garros title run – her last clay title, and the tournament where she crowned herself champion in Paris for the fourth time.

“When she has a good day, she feels the ball well, she’s a really tough opponent,” Swiatek said about her next rival. “I need to be ready to not give anything for free, fight for every point.”

“Either if I win or lose, I can kind of also see where my level is at.”