Iga Świątek faced a demanding test in her opening match at the United Cup, as Eva Lys brought an unexpected aggression to the court, a trait she had not previously displayed. After the opening set, Świątek was forced to reassess her approach and find her rhythm against the German, who maintained pressure since the beginning.
The Pole’s words during the press conference revealed her respect for Lys’s competitiveness while showcasing her own ability to adapt and execute quickly under pressure.
Iga Świątek’s Words on Eva Lys Following United Cup Clash
Poland crushed Germany with a 3-0 victory in Group F of the United Cup on Monday in Sydney, thanks to the impressive singles wins from both Hubert Hurkacz and Świątek.
Hurkacz provided the perfect start for the Polish team by defeating World No. 3 Alexander Zverev 6-3, 6-4 in an 84-minute match, ending his nearly seven-month hiatus due to knee surgery performed in July 2025. The former World No. 6, currently ranked 83rd, faced only one break point in the entire match while hitting 21 aces to secure the win.
Świątek then took the court against Lys, which turned out to be a more closely fought match, pushing the Pole to her boundaries. Following her 3-6, 6-3, 6-4 victory in two hours and 30 minutes, Świątek acknowledged Lys’s impressive aggression, particularly in the first set.
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“It was a tough start of the season. Eva really put pressure on me from the beginning. I needed to get my game levelled up and find the right rhythm. I’m happy that I played a little bit better in the second set,” Świątek reflected on her opponent’s approach. Adding on the first set, she said, “I did enjoy the first set, because I knew I have work to do. I just focused on that.”
She further praised Lys’s shotmaking, observing that “She played some amazing down the lines in the first set. Like from balls, I wouldn’t expect anyone to play down the line. It went in. Good for her. Congrats.” Rather than viewing her opening-set loss negatively, Świątek focused on the learning opportunity it provided, stating that “But I knew I have work to do, so I just tried to change some stuff in the second set.”
Speaking on the competitive nature of the match, Świątek said, “I had opportunity to work in these tough moments. It wasn’t the easiest. Obviously it’s easy to win with nice, easy score, but you also need to appreciate competing.” She concluded by saying, “Even though the tennis wasn’t from my side perfect, I made some unforced serves as well, I just tried to compete, and I’m happy that I did that.”
Świątek’s Comeback Victory And Poland’s Group F Standings
Despite losing the opening set 3-6, Świątek mounted a decisive comeback in the second set after Lys took a 3-1 lead after breaking her opponent. The Polish champion then won five consecutive games to clinch the second set 6-3 and level the match.
In the third set, Świątek broke Lys to lead 3-1, but the German fought back, breaking the Pole immediately to draw level at 3-3 before Świątek secured the decisive break in the 10th game to close out a 6-4 victory.
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The second serve statistics tell the real story, where Świątek won 52% of her second-serve points compared to just 39% for Lys. During the match, Świątek managed to win 102 total points as compared to Lys’s 91, with the German converting seven of the 13 break points, which turned out to be insufficient. The Pole now holds a 4-0 record against Lys, notably losing just one set in all four encounters.
The win improved Poland’s standing to 1-0 in Group F, with Germany dropping to 1-1 while still leading the table.
