Iga Swiatek reinforces ‘Queen of Clay’ tag in Paris Olympics
Iga Swiatek grimaced in pain after a ball struck her in the ribcage during a point in the Paris Olympics singles quarterfinals on Wednesday. It was a pivotal moment in the early stages of the third set after her opponent, Danielle Collins, dominated the second set to force a deciding set.
At that juncture, Swiatek could have thrown in the towel. The blow was so severe that her opponent walked across the net to check on the Pole. “Iga, are you OK?” Collins could be heard asking. Even the chair umpire stared down Swiatek with an, “Are you good to go?” gesture.
Swiatek would eventually rise to her feet with a nod, declaring her intention to continue. Amazingly, the World No. 1 would breeze through the next four games to take a 4-0 lead. Collins would hold serve to make it 4-1 before conceding the match with an injury, allowing Swiatek to advance to the semifinals.
After the game, Swiatek said “the adrenaline” of being on the court inspired her to brave through.
“I could not breathe for a moment. It hurt for a bit,” Swiatek said of the moment she got hit, via ESPN. “But with adrenaline that you have on the court, you don’t feel as much as you should.”
By advancing to the semifinals, Swiatek made history on several counts on Wednesday.
