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Tennis: Iga Swiatek returns to WTA hardcourts at Toronto

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Agence France-Presse

<div class="embed-wrap"><figure data-feedback="fb:likes,fb:comments"><img alt="Iga Swiatek of Poland in action during her women" s="" singles="" quarter="" final="" match="" against="" Caroline="" Garcia="" of="" France="" at="" the="" WTA="" BNP="" Paribas="" Poland="" open="" tennis="" tournament="" in="" July="" Leszek="" src="https://sa.kapamilya.com/absnews/abscbnnews/media/2022/sports/08/02/20220802-tennis_iga-swiatek_epa.jpg"/><figcaption>Iga Swiatek of Poland in action during her women&#x27;s singles quarter final match against Caroline Garcia of France at the WTA BNP Paribas Poland Open tennis tournament in Warsaw, Poland, 29 July 2022.<em> Leszek Szymanski, EPA-EFE</em></figcaption></figure></div><p>TORONTO, Canada -- Iga Swiatek will set foot on a hardourt for the first time in more than four months at next week&#x27;s WTA Toronto Masters.</p><p>The Polish world number one, who collected six titles this season before her 37-match win streak was ended by Alize Cornet at Wimbledon, has a limited history at the Canadian event.</p><p>She previously played in 2019, losing as a qualifier in the third round to Naomi Osaka. </p><p>Swiatek last competed on cement on April 4 when she won the Miami Masters title. </p><ul class="op-related-articles">	<li><a href="https://news.abs-cbn.com/sports/08/02/22/swiatek-dominates-wta-rankings-in-spite-of-warsaw-defeat">READ: Swiatek dominates WTA rankings in spite of Warsaw defeat</a></li></ul><p>The first of back-to-back pre-US Open tests in August for two-time Roland Garros champion Swiatek will be followed by the Cincinnati Masters with a preparation week to spare before the August 29 start of the Grand Slam in New York.</p><p>She will play her first match against the winner from American Shelby Rogers and 19th-ranked Veronika Kudermetova.</p><p>Second in the field will be Estonian Anett Kontaveit, beaten in the first round here last season.</p><p>Reigning US Open champion Emma Raducanu, seeded ninth, begins against tournament holder Camila Giorgi, who won the title a year ago over Czech Karolina Pliskova.</p><p>Raducanu this week reached the Washington quarter-finals and has been controversially engaged in a coaching trial with former Russian player Dmitry Tursunov.</p><p>The top quarter of the draw could be a minefield for Swiatek, with potential rivals including fifth-seeded Wimbledon finalist Ons Jabeur.</p><p>The Tunisian is one of a group of other threats in the quarter. </p><p>Others include Greek third seed Maria Sakkari, former number one Garbine Muguruza of Spain, 13th-seeded US Open finalist Leylah Fernandez, Olympic gold medallist Belinda Bencic of Switzerland and double Grand Slam winner Victoria Azarenka.</p><p>Lurking as a wild card entry in the top quarter is Serena Williams -- the winner in 2001, 2011 and 2013 who last played in Canada three years ago when she lost the final to Bianca Andreescu.</p><p>The 54th-ranked Andreesu, whose career since winning the US Open in 2019 has been beset by injury, opens here in the first round against 11th seed Daria Kasatkina.</p><p>Williams starts with a qualifier and then could face Bencic or Azarenka and a quarter-final with Swiatek remains a possibility. </p><p>Sister Venus Williams, 42, was also handed a wild card, playing Swiss Jil Teichman in the first round with the winner to get Kontaveit.</p><p>Wimbledon champion Elena Rybakin will be looking for her first win since taking the title at the All England Club as she takes on a qualifier in the first round.</p><div><strong>© Agence France-Presse</strong></div><div><br/><strong>RELATED VIDEO:</strong></div><figure class="op-interactive"><iframe allow="autoplay; fullscreen" frameBorder="0" height="100%" id="ivsplayer01" scrolling="no" src="https://player.ivideosmart.com/ivsplayer/v4/dist/html/iframe-src.html?iframeid=ivsplayer01&amp;key=e8c22c015ca9eafa76f1e3edfa03c603&amp;spid=3001339&amp;vid=1771908" width="100%"></iframe></figure><div class="iwantbar">Watch more News on <a href="https://www.iwanttfc.com/#!/browse/Genres/News/tag_id_genres/id_news" target="_blank">iWantTFC</a></div>

Iga Swiatek will set foot on a hardourt for the first time in more than four months at next week's WTA Toronto Masters.