Tennis-Swiatek to sharpen hardcourt skills in Cincinnati with US Open looming

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(Reuters) – Iga Swiatek expects a tough return to hardcourt tennis at the Cincinnati Open but the top-ranked Pole said she will not heap pressure on herself and approach the WTA 1000 event like a “practice tournament” before the U.S. Open.

Swiatek last competed on the surface at the Miami Open in March and then went on to win titles on clay at Madrid, Rome and the French Open before crashing out in the third round on the grasscourts of Wimbledon.

After swapping turf for clay again and claiming the Olympic bronze at Roland Garros earlier this month, the 23-year-old will begin her Cincinnati campaign with measured expectations.

“I know that the first tournament on hardcourts isn’t going to be easy,” said Swiatek, who plays Ajla Tomljanovic or Varvara Gracheva in the second round this week.

“So I’m going to try to treat it as a practice tournament, but not in a way that I don’t care – more in a way that I want to implement all the stuff that I practiced on.

“I think it’s the best approach for me now.”

Swiatek said Cincinnati was the ideal venue to reboot after a busy few months on tour as she prepares for the Aug. 26-Sept. 8 U.S. Open where she will aim to win a second title and sixth Grand Slam crown overall.

“I felt after the Olympics I need to reset and also focus on getting my technique back together and just grinding on court,” Swiatek said.

“Here’s the perfect place to do it. It feels a little bit less crazy, but on the other hand, even before the tournament, there are many people and a lot of fans.

“So you still feel it’s an important tournament.”

(Reporting by Shrivathsa Sridhar in Bengaluru; Editing by Peter Rutherford)