Iga Swiatek kept her Australian Open campaign on track despite a brief dip in form, battling past Anna Kalinskaya in three sets to book her place in the fourth round in Melbourne on Saturday. The world No. 2 came through a momentum-swinging contest 6-1, 1-6, 6-1, underlining both her dominance and resilience as she continues her pursuit of a career Grand Slam.
Swiatek looked in complete control early, storming through the opening set in just 24 minutes with a double break as Kalinskaya struggled to find rhythm and required treatment for a lower-back issue. However, the match turned sharply in the second set, with the Russian raising her level and capitalising on a string of unforced errors from the Pole to level the contest.
After taking a medical timeout before the decider, Swiatek returned with renewed intensity. She rattled off five consecutive games in the final set, reasserting her authority from the baseline and shutting the door on any hopes of an upset. Kalinskaya showed fight by holding serve late and pushing Swiatek on a few games, but the gap in consistency ultimately told.
Reflecting on the fluctuating nature of the match, Swiatek admitted she expected the shift in momentum. “I just wanted to stay proactive and focus on my own game,” she said. “In these matches, the momentum can change quickly, so it was important for me to stay mentally strong.”
The second seed wrapped up the contest in one hour and 44 minutes and now advances to face Australian qualifier Maddison Inglis in the fourth round. Inglis progressed after two-time champion Naomi Osaka withdrew from her third-round match due to an abdominal injury.
Swiatek also spared a thought for Osaka, saying she hoped the former champion was doing well, while acknowledging the challenge of playing a home favourite next. With growing confidence and another test successfully negotiated, Swiatek remains firmly in contention as the Melbourne tournament gathers pace.
