Roland Garros news: Iga Swiatek closes in on Justine Henin’s record with third-round French Open win
- Seb Sternik
- 28 May 2022
One of the most impressive ongoing winning streaks in world sport was extended as Iga Swiatek powered into the fourth round of the French Open.
The Pole beat Montenegro's Danka Kovinic 6-3 7-5 in exactly one hour and 30 minutes as she extended her winning run to 31 games.
Despite sealing her fourth-round spot in straight sets, Swiatek was given her toughest test yet as Kovinic put on a valiant display against the current world number one.
Swiatek, who is looking to defend her Roland Garros crown, has now won 17 of her last 19 games at the tournament, and is now just one win away from matching Justine Henin's 32-match winning run.
Henin ranks third on the list of longest winning streaks in women's tennis since the turn of the century. Both of the Williams sisters lead that table, with Serena claiming 34 straight wins and Venus winning 35.
Swiatek would need to win the French Open in order to match the record set by Venus Williams in the year 2000.
Cast your vote 🗳@realmadrid or @LFC 🤔#UCLfinal | @iga_swiatek pic.twitter.com/Ugc2ZLlGBy
— Roland-Garros (@rolandgarros) May 28, 2022
The Pole has been unbeaten since February and won titles in Doha, Indian Wells, Miami, Stuttgart and Rome.
Following her victory over Kovinic, the 20-year-old said: "I wanted to play aggressively and sometimes I thought I was putting in too much power. Sometimes it was hard to control at full speed.
"I tried to play with less pace and be more consistent in the rallies. She did a good job at defending, hitting back at full speed."
Swiatek will look to continue her incredible run in the fourth round when she takes on either home favourite Alize Cornet or China's Qinwen Zheng.
