Women's singles first round
World No.1 Iga Swiatek nullified the threat of Jule Niemeier to escape in straight sets 6-4 7-5 to kick-start her Australian Open 2023 title tilt at Melbourne Park on Monday night.
MORE: All the scores from Day 1 at AO 2023
The clash appeared destined for a decider at 5-3 to the powerful German in the second set, before the top seed turned the tables in style on Rod Laver Arena to let out a celebratory roar of 'Jazda.'
The build-up
The world No.1 was well aware of the blistering artillery her German opponent was capable of.
Niemeier led Swiatek by a set and a break during the US Open fourth round back in September. The Pole eventually rallied to win en route to lifting her third Grand Slam title in New York.
MORE: AO 2023 women's singles draw
Sporting a 14-1 record in major first-round fixtures prior to walking down the tunnel of champions, the top seed was the overwhelming favourite for the opening night session encounter.
Story of the match
It was immediately obvious that Swiatek would have to dig deep into her extensive experience in dealing with adversity, which has reaped three Grand Slam titles already.
Both players were transitioning up the court when possible, but it was Niemeier offering up the early probes.
Locked at 3-3, Niemeier's rock n' roll returns were pinning Swiatek to the baseline, forcing the top seed to rush her strokes. After a back-pedalling overhead, the Pole had erased two break points.
Extra shots, extra strikes, Swiatek stubbornly held her own and at 5-4 a bit more venom on return helped steal away a cagey opener.
Niemeier wrestled away the initiative in the second set, utilising pounding shots combined with crafty angles to surge 5-3 ahead. That was when Swiatek's champion instincts kicked in.
A 126km/h backhand inside-in return winner set the tone. Controlled aggression was the name of the game, the hooked forehand cross-court in particular did the damage.
Taking four games in a row, Swiatek finally dissolved the resistance of the world No.69 to leap into the second round.
"Pretty amazing. Despite being pretty nervous, I really enjoyed it," said Swiatek with a grin.
"I just wanted to focus on myself, because I know Jule can serve amazing. At US Open she was using the fast conditions and again she was really putting pressure on me.
"So I didn't want to think about that, but what I could do to push her back. I'm really happy that I kept this attitude and got through this round. An opponent like Jule is always tricky."
Key stats
Just 49 per cent of first serves landed in from the Pole's racquet. When they did, Swiatek enjoyed a 76 per cent success rate in points.
That will be an area to focus on during the next practice session.
Monday night wasn't about stats, it was about grit and switching the momentum.
What this means for Swiatek
Relief.
As soon as the draw came out, this was seen as a potential upset. Swiatek wasn't anywhere near top gear, but kept level-headed and managed to prevent going three sets. What a bonus.
The world No.1 heads on to face Colombian youngster Camila Osorio in their first meeting with plenty of positive memories from 2022 Down Under.
Swiatek agrees her semifinal best at Melbourne Park last summer laid the foundations for one for the most successful and dominant WTA seasons in recent history.
"Yes, for sure. Both Adelaide and this tournament gave me a lot of confidence. I was happy I could win matches on hard court, tight matches and that I could use my physicality to win," added Swiatek.
"It was super tough, but I was super proud of myself. Australia is always like this for me, it's such an amazing tournament because we are so fresh, we push ourselves to the limit."
What's next for Niemeier?
Niemeier, making her Australian Open main-draw debut, gained a great reception from the crowd as she left RLA – and justifiably so.
The 22-year-old proved once again she's comfortable on the major stage, and will be a real danger on tour for the key contenders in 2023.