Olympics-Tennis-Swiatek makes quick start as Tokyo heat takes a toll

[ASFN Admin]

Poland's Iga Swiatek put in a clinical performance to move past Mona Barthel of Germany with a 6-2 6-2 win on her Olympic debut, as sweltering conditions in Tokyo took a toll on the players on the opening day of tennis at the Games. Russia's Anastasia Pavlyuchenkova lost only one game versus Italy's Sara Errani but this year's Roland Garros runner-up had spent enough time on Court Three under the blazing sun to feel dizzy and took a medical timeout in the second set. Swiatek, the 2020 French Open champion, kicked off proceedings on the Centre Court of the Ariake Tennis Park and managed to stay calm and composed to beat Barthel, formerly ranked among the world's top 25, with temperatures hovering around 33 degrees Celsius (91.4°F).

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