WADA not to appeal Swiatek’s drug-case ruling
MELBOURNE, Jan 20 : A ruthless Iga Swiatek slammed the door shut on German lucky loser Eva Lys with a 6-0 6-1 win on Monday to breeze into the quarter-finals of the year’s opening Grand Slam for the second time.
Five-times Grand Slam champion Swiatek came into the match having lost only 10 games in the tournament and the Pole sent out another warning to her title rivals by dismantling Lys in 59 minutes on Rod Laver Arena. One of several searing forehand winners helped 2022 semi-finalist Swiatek break Lys for the first time and the 23-year-old did not take her foot of the gas pedal as she closed out the first set in 24 minutes.
World number 128 Lys had enjoyed a historic run after she replaced Anna Kalinskaya in the main draw following a loss in the qualifying event but there was only more suffering in store for the Kyiv-born player. Lys managed a smile and pumped her fist when she went 40-30 up after conceding the opening three games and soaked up the loud applause after getting on the board to ensure she would avoid the dreaded double bagel.
Swiatek broke for the fifth time after a six-deuce game and served out in style to book a last-eight meeting with Emma Navarro or Daria Kasatkina.
WADA NOT TO APPEAL
Iga Swiatek’s one-month suspension for failing a drug test will not be appealed by the World Anti-Doping Agency because her explanation “is plausible,” WADA announced on Monday.
“Well, for sure, I’m just satisfied that I can get closure, kind of,” Swiatek said, “and I can just move on and finish this whole process, because I just want to play tennis and focus on the tournament.”
Unlike the Swiatek case, WADA did appeal the exoneration of current men’s No. 1 Jannik Sinner and a hearing is scheduled to be heard at the Court of Arbitration for Sport (CAS) in Lausanne, Switzerland, in April.
Sinner was not suspended because the International Tennis Integrity Agency (ITIA) determined he was not negligent for two positive tests for an anabolic steroid in March.
SINNER, SWIATEK WIN ITF WORLD AWARDS
Jannik Sinner and Iga Swiatek have won the International Tennis Federation’s 2024 world champion awards.Swiatek edged out Aryna Sabalenka for the women’s singles award in the list announced by the ITF on Monday.
Swiatek won the French Open plus four WTA 1000 titles, an Olympic bronze medal at the Paris Games and also helped Poland to the Billie Jean King Cup semifinals.
Sabalenka won the Australian and US Open crowns and finished the year ranked No. 1.Sinner is the first Italian to win the award.
He finished 2024 at No. 1 with a 73-6 win-loss record after winning the Australian and US Open titles, the ATP Finals and leading Italy’s successful defense of the Davis Cup crown.Sinner and Swiatek were both subject to doping cases last year, which has overshadowed their participation at the Australian Open this month.
The ITF said the world champion awards were selected based on “objective criteria” considering all results but with a special emphasis on Grand Slams, the World Cup of Tennis competitions and the Olympic and Paralympic events.(PTI)