World No 1 narrowly avoids being poleaxed by Anastasia Pavlyucheknova as she advances to last 16 at Flushing Meadows
As Iga Swiatek entered Arthur Ashe Stadium to the strains of the theme from Pulp Fiction, the mind inevitably drifted back to her only previous meeting with Anastasia Pavlyuchenkova. That came last year, when the 33-year-old Russian, working her way back from long-term injury, was subjected to a 6-0, 6-0 whitewash in Rome. In the circumstances, the choice of music felt ominous.
The tennis equivalent of a hitwoman, Swiatek routinely metes out drubbings of the kind Pavlyuchenkova experienced at the Foro Italico. And when the former French Open finalist instantly fell a break behind, it was hard not to fear for her again. That feeling deepened in the fourth game, when Swiatek stabbed back a return on the stretch that, spinning violently, cleared the net before bouncing back into the Polish world No 1’s side of the court, leaving the dismayed Pavlyuchenkova flailing at air.
