Since last week, Iga ¦wiątek has turned on the dominator mode known from the previous year. And a real one, because her specialty has become matches in which she loses one game. After the first set, it seemed that Magda Linette would follow in her footsteps on Thursday. But while she started out as the world number one, she was dangerously reminiscent of Belarusian Aryna Sabalenka, who unexpectedly lost the first game 6-0 in Dubai on Thursday.
Linette turned on “Christmas” mode
The 31-year-old from Poznań in the opening match in Merida – to everyone’s surprise – effectively woke up sleepy fans. In the duel with Camila Osorio (61st WTA) played in the middle of the night for domestic fans, she was one step away from defeat. The 21st tennis player in the world lost to the Colombian, strongly supported by the local fans, 2:5 in the second set and saved two match balls. She eventually won 6-7 (2-7), 7-5, 6-2.
On Thursday it was calmer, but only in the first installment. The 24-year-old Udvardy was then only a background for the favorite and a very pale one. Linette played very confidently, and the Hungarian, 91st on the world list, seemed to lack faith that she would be able to make any fight with her. The result was that after 24 minutes it was over the set, in which the lower ranked tennis player did not record a single game on her account, and in total she scored only six points.
Udvarda’s unexpected return, then tears
It seemed then that the Poznań player would follow suit and close the meeting in less than an hour, but unexpectedly in the second game the situation changed significantly. The concentration of the Polish woman seems to have escaped, and her opponent, who usually competes in lower-ranking events (challengers and ITF competitions), woke up. The latter began to play aggressively and risky, which paid off. Linette gave up the initiative.
In a disturbing style, the Polish woman lost all four of her service games. The fate of the duel was determined by the Hungarian’s bad luck. In one of the exchanges in the eighth game, the player, quite confidently heading for the victory in this set, slipped and fell, damaging her ankle. Moments later, she burst into tears, knowing that despite her 5-2 lead, she would not be able to finish the game. After a few minutes and a brief consultation with the physiotherapist, she scratched. She left the court using the crutches brought for her.
The quarter-final was an opportunity to settle scores
It was the first duel of these players on the tour. However, they met earlier in an exhibition match in 2020 in the USA, when the competition for the stake was suspended due to the COVID-19 pandemic. Then Udvardy won in straight sets.
In the quarterfinals in Merida, Polka will face the qualifier Rebecca Peterson (140th WTA). The Swede, who two and a half years ago was in the Top 50 of the world list, unexpectedly easily eliminated Alycia Parks on Thursday. She defeated the fifth-seeded American, the winner of the tournament played three weeks ago in Lyon, 6:4, 6:2.
Linette has a score to settle with a Scandinavian tennis player. They have met three times so far, and the balance is slightly better for Peterson. Recently, however – two years ago in the first round in Indian Wells – the winner was a Polish woman who won a three-set confrontation.