“At the moment, it’s very important for Swiatek to win these tight matches because it gets her mentally prepared for tough situations,” Amritraj told JioStar.

Amritraj noted that the expectations surrounding a defending champion add another layer of difficulty, making every close contest valuable in building momentum.

“She is the defending champion, so the pressure is on her, and the target is on her back. Winning these close matches is going to help her a lot, especially in the first week. If she comes through these couple of matches, I think she’s looking at going deep into the second week,” he added.

Despite Swiatek’s unbeaten head-to-head record against Pliskova, the former Indian player warned that the Czech remains a dangerous opponent with little to lose. “Pliskova has nothing to lose in this match, and that’s the tough part for Swiatek. Although she’s 3-0 up in their head-to-head record, Pliskova is a heck of a player.”

Amritraj believes Swiatek cannot afford to fall below her usual standards if she wants to extend that record, as he said, “I believe Swiatek has to play at least 80 to 90 per cent of her best tennis to pull this off and make it 4-0. But, at the end of the day, Pliskova has an outside chance.”

–IANS

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