Even before the quarter-final match began, Iga Świątek was considered the favorite. Only in the first match of the Grand Slam tournament in New York did the WTA world ranking leader have problems. Later, she went like a storm.
Unfortunately, Jessica Pegula proved too strong for the Polish tennis player, who failed to win even a set. From the very beginning, Tomasz Wiktorowski’s protégé made mistakes in her game.
The American took advantage of this and won. This turn of events surprised many, but not John McEnroe . The three-time Wimbledon winner and four-time US Open winner explained why he predicted a potential defeat for Iga Świątek .
– I simply knew how much Iga had already played this year. Many players who had played for a long time in the Olympic Games were now struggling with serious problems. And I think they were both physical and mental problems. That’s why I thought it could be crucial in this match. Jessica Pegula didn’t play much this year, and she dropped out of the Olympic Games quickly – he said in “Super Express”.
– And that’s probably also why she was able to perform so well in several hard court tournaments before the US Open. Besides, her game is a natural fit for this surface, her fast and flat ball works great on these courts. That’s why I had the impression that she was able to beat Świątek – he added.
Why did Iga Świątek lose in the quarterfinals of this year’s US Open? According to John McEnroe, the world’s number one focused primarily on offense and neglected to play defense.
“I think she needs to pull back a bit more sometimes when her attacking game isn’t going as well as it usually does on clay. She seems to be constantly trying to power the game, which is a bit surprising for someone who prefers slower surfaces. So I’m a bit surprised she’s been playing like that lately,” he concluded.
