Melbourne, Jan. 22 -- World No. 2 Iga Swiatek's hunt for an elusive Australian Open title gained steam on Thursday after a crushing straight-sets victory over Marie Bouzkova in the second round.
Opening the night session at John Cain Arena, Swiatek hit 31 winners in her commanding 6-2, 6-3 win in one hour and 19 minutes.
It was a significantly improved performance for the six-time grand slam champion, who had battled past Chinese qualifier Yuan Yue in a gruelling first round match.
"It felt great playing today, I felt much more free than in the first round. I wanted to go for it," said Swiatek, with Bouzkova limited to just three winners.
Published by HT Digital Content Services with permission from United News of India....