A former Australian Open finalist has some honest but brutal predictions for Iga Swiatek’s journey at Melbourne. The tennis star thinks that fans might see the Pole player exit the tournament easily.
The Australian Open is around the corner, and Swiatek is all set to begin her journey on January 19 against Yue Yuan. However, this finalist thinks Swiatek’s journey at the tournament won't last long.
Danielle Collins' bold call: Iga Swiatek faces early exit risk at Australian Open
Swiatek will enter the tournament as the top favourite; however, Danielle Collins thinks the opposite. Collins, who is not competing at Melbourne Park this year, is working as an analyst for Tennis Channel.
Collins was asked to name “a top-10 seed that could be on upset alert in the first two rounds.” The American responded:
"This is a tough one... I think, it's probably no surprise to people that follow tennis, but I'm going to go with Swiatek.”
Collins, who has reached as high as No. 7 in WTA, continued:
“I was a little bit concerned with her performance at the United Cup, two back-to-back losses, so I think there is a little bit of trouble in paradise for her right now."
Meanwhile, the former World No. 1, Swiatek, has bowed out of the Australian Open in the early stages only once, which was in 2019. The No. 2 player was defeated by Camila Giorgi in the second round in Melbourne.
However, Swiatek’s form this year has not been up to the mark. The tennis star barely escaped against Eva Lys at the United Cup but went on to beat Suzan Lamens and Maya Joint. Later on, she was defeated by Coco Gauff and Belinda Bencic in the last two encounters of the mixed team event.