Swiatek smothers Italian opponent

Iga Swiatek showcased her ruthless streak on Thursday as the defending champion semrolled Italian opposition with the loss of just one game to start her title defence at the Rome Masters.

The five-time Grand Slam champion – winner of Roland Garros in four of the past five editions – dispatched Italy’s Elisabetta Cocciaretto 6-1, 6-0, taking just 53 minutes to see off the 82nd-ranked local in a crushing win.

Swiatek is working to level up her tennis after not winning a title since the French Open nearly a year ago. In the interim, her well-ordered world has undergone a few jolts, with a change of coaches, a minor doping ban and a drop to world No. 2 status behind Aryna Sabalenka.

“(Consistency) is something that I always want. There’s no tournament where I go in and I’m not prepared,” she said before her start here..

“I feel like I’m the most kind of consistent as I was previous years. But for sure I want to also win some tournaments — that’s also the goal.”

The three-time champion at the Foro Italico posted her seventh consecutive victory in Rome, winning 20 of her last 21 at the venue.

Against Cocciaretto, Swiatek notched her 18th consecutive Rome win in straight sets and her ninth set with a 6-0 ending.