Defending champion Iga Swiatek was knocked out of the Italian Open at an early stage after a 6-1, 7-5 loss against American Danielle Collins in the third round. Sitting atop world No. 2, Swiatek was striving to secure her fourth crown at the Foro Italico but was simply outplayed by Collins, who rallied one of the biggest shocks of the tournament.
Swiatek, who has been considered the supreme boss on clay, truly looked a pale shadow of the player with four French Open titles to her name.
She was broken four times in a facile opening set and was essentially hesitant about staging a comeback in the second one, eventually losing in straight sets. Previously, the Pole had beaten Clarence eight times in nine meetings, making the upset even more shocking.
This loss raises worry for the upcoming Roland Garros this month, especially after Swiatek was defeated in straight sets by Coco Gauff in the Madrid Open semi-finals earlier this month.
Ranked 35th in the world, Collins now reached the last 16, where she will play either Elina Svitolina or fellow American Hailey Baptiste. This win help boost Collins’ bid for her second WTA 1000 title after winning one in Miami last year.
However, Swiatek’s exit opens up her section of the draw, with Naomi Osaka to play later against Marie Bouzkova.
