In the opening round of the singles on Saturday, the 23-year-old Pole returned to Paris and proved why she is the queen of clay.
Top seed Świątek is dubbed the favorite to win the gold medal in this year’s Olympics. However, she was made to work hard by Romania’s Begu, especially in the second set in which she trailed 5-3, the WTA reported on its official website. Świątek tapped into her reserve of determination when she needed it most, rallying to win four consecutive games and securing victory when Begu double-faulted.
Iga clinched her win over Begu in just 1 hour and 45 minutes.
"I'm happy that I'm through because first rounds are never easy, especially at the Olympics," top seed Świątek told reporters after matching her run to the second round in Tokyo.
"The atmosphere was a little bit different and I was a little bit more nervous as well.
There was a lot of frustration after heavy rain disrupted the opening day of tennis, with thousands of fans unable to get into the two main show courts after braving long lines.
Polish tennis sensation will play either Argentina's Nadia Podoroska or France's Diane Parry in the second round.
(aj)
SORCE: WTA; AFP; IAR
