Iga Swiatek extended her winning streak to 37 matches after coming through a tricky test against Lesley Pattinama Kerkhove.
Swiatek dropped a rare set in the match but ultimately wore down her opponent to come through 6-4 4-6 6-3.
A back-and-forth opening set saw the two exchange two breaks apiece with the world No. 1 down 2-4 at one stage before clawing her way back to 4-4.
Swiatek then held to move in front for the first time since game one, putting the pressure on the Dutch lucky loser.
Pattinama Kerkhove was unfortunately unable to hold her nerve. Needing to save two set points, she sent a backhand into the net as Swiatek took a fourth game in a row.
The second set remained a closely-fought affair until Pattinama Kerkhove found the break with a fortunate winner which caught the net before dropping on her opponent’s side.
A frustrated Swiatek failed to find her groove and a long forehand saw her drop a set for just the second time in her last 15 matches.
The third set finally saw Swiatek up her gears to break for 3-1 after two wonderful winners.
The writing was on the wall as she soon found herself 5-2 up after an impressive hold to love, seemingly breaking her opponent’s resistance at last.
Pattinama Kerkhove was able to hold, forcing Swiatek to serve for victory, to which she duly obliged.
“I think another match to this number [37] is pretty special for me, but you know, when I’m out there, I’m not really thinking about that,” Swiatek said in her on-court interview.
“I’m just trying to play the best tennis possible on grass and the result is going to come – I don’t have full influence in it, but I’m happy that it [the winning streak] is 37 now and I’m going to do my best to get even more.”
“She played a really great match and it seemed that she really understood how to play today, but I’m really happy that I could sometimes just fight back and be the last one to play that ball in. I’m pretty happy that I’m going to have a next chance to play here.”
She now faces France’s Alize Cornet in round three as she continues her quest for back to back Grand Slam wins following her French Open triumph earlier in the month.
