© Getty Images Sport – Christopher Pike
Iga Swiatek had an unusual moment of frustration during a surprise Dubai semifinal exit as the Pole threw her racket to the ground while down by a set and a break to Anna Kalinskaya.
What was expected to be another routine win for Swiatek, ended with a shock defeat after Kalinskaya upset the top-seeded Pole 6-4 6-4. Midway through the first set, Swiatek had a 4-2 lead before losing the next six games as Kalinskaya went on to open a 6-4 2-0 lead. After losing the first set and also getting broken in the first game of the second set, Swiatek threw her racket after a missed return in the second game.
The racket bounced off the court – didn’t break – but Swiatek still received a code violation for racket abuse. While a player throwing a racket isn’t something unusual in tennis, seeing Swiatek do that was a bit odd since the Pole almost never does that.
Federer 2009 Miami semifinal vibes pic.twitter.com/CVB76OvzqE
— Bastien Fachan (@BastienFachan) February 23, 2024
Swiatek admitted to feeling ‘angry’ after the loss
After the match, Swiatek – who won a WTA 1000 tournament in Doha last week and entered the Kalinskaya match riding a seven-match winning streak – revealed she felt tired and exhausted against the Russian….
