Swiatek compares serving strategy to that of John Isner - "I'm not that kind of player who's going to make points just from serving"

Looking for her ninth singles title of the season, Iga Swiatek started her WTA Finals campaign on a winning note by beating Daria Kasatkina 6-2 6-3 in one hour and 22 minutes.

It was the sixth time that the two players came face-to-face and the World No. 1 extended her head-to-head lead against the Russian to 5-1. While eighth-ranked Kasatkina won the first match last year, Swiatek registered five consecutive straight-set wins against her this season. The 21-year-old Pole also improved her win-loss record for the 2022 season to 65-8.

During a discussion on Tennis Channel after the match, former player Chanda Rubin inquired if Swiatek had a particular strategy while serving yesterday. The three-time Grand Slam champion couldn't help but bring up the name of the player with the best serve in tennis — John Isner. She stated that unlike the American, she was not able to accumulate points just with her serve.

"Honestly, I'm always thinking about the same stuff and its technique," revealed Swiatek. "It's not like I have some extra tactics. I just really want myself to be solid and I know I'm not that kind of a player who's going to make points just from serving, you know, I'm not [John] Isner.

"But I know that I can open up the court and play a good rally and then finish on the baseline. So it's not like I'm focusing a lot of serve."

Over two sets, Swiatek broke her opponent thrice and held her serve throughout. The top-ranked player finished with 23 winners compared to just five from Kasatkina.