Melbourne, Australia – World No. 2 Iga Swiatek powered into the third round of the Australian Open with a commanding 6-2, 6-3 victory over Marie Bouzkova on Monday. This marks her 24th consecutive Grand Slam third-round appearance, a feat unmatched in the Open Era for any decade’s first 24 majors.
Swiatek’s dominance was evident from the start at John Cain Arena. She broke Bouzkova’s serve early, unleashing blistering groundstrokes clocking up to 140 km/h. Bouzkova struggled to mount any defense, remaining pinned back throughout the first set, which Swiatek clinched 6-2.
Carrying that momentum, Swiatek stayed composed in the second set. Despite a brief moment of tension with an unforced error at the outset, she regained control with powerful serves and aggressive baseline play. Bouzkova saved two match points with brilliant shots, but a stunning 9-shot rally ended with Swiatek’s forehand winner, sealing the match.
This win makes Swiatek the first woman since Svetlana Kuznetsova’s 26 straight second-round appearances from 2006-12 to reach 25 consecutive Grand Slam second rounds. Her last exit before the third round was at the 2019 US Open against Anastasija Sevastova.
In another upset, Oksana Selekhmeteva stunned last year’s semifinalist Paula Badosa for her first Top 30 win, advancing to the third round for the first time in a Grand Slam. The young talent now faces No. 6 seed Jessica Pegula, her first career Top 20 opponent.
Local qualifier Madison Inglis also progressed, outlasting Laura Siegemund in a thrilling 6-4, 6-7(3), 7-6(7) marathon that lasted 3 hours and 20 minutes – the tournament’s second-longest match. Swiatek’s streak and these surprises set the stage for explosive third-round clashes.
