The Curious Case Of Swiatek's Hex Against Ostapenko - Second Serve

Usually Iga Swiatek is nan 1 dishing retired nan bagels.

In caller years, nan five-time awesome champion has go known for nan ruthless mode of her victories, subjecting galore opponents to nan eventual embarrassment of losing a group without winning a game.

Now 23-year-old Swiatek finds herself successful nan position of being connected nan incorrect extremity of a 6-0 scoreline - having mislaid to Jelena Ostapenko for nan sixth clip successful a row.

Ostapenko extended her flawless head-to-head grounds against nan world number 2 successful nan Stuttgart quarter-finals connected Saturday.

So what's down nan one-sided results?

Having won nan 2017 French Open, Ostapenko surely has nan pedigree and her explosive ball-bashing - erstwhile it works, and nan winners outweigh nan unforced errors - tin person devastating consequences.

Swiatek has encountered problem against fierce ball-strikers, too, truthful that adds further weight to nan explanation.

You besides wonderment whether location is simply a intelligence artifact against an force who a subordinate knows has their number.

Swiatek disputed that afterwards, saying her caput "was overmuch much clear" against Ostapenko successful Stuttgart than her erstwhile defeats.

While nan agony was prolonged, you can't ideate a subordinate of Swiatek's value will suffer a career-spanning hex.

There is simply a agelong measurement to spell until Swiatek enters nan speech of being connected nan receiving extremity of nan astir ascendant head-to-head record.

Gael Monfils has mislaid each 20 of his matches (so far) against Novak Djokovic, while Richard Gasquet's 18-0 grounds against Rafael Nadal and David Ferrer's 17-0 against Roger Federer are different notable lopsided match-ups successful caller years.

In fact, Swiatek could extremity nan chastening tally arsenic early arsenic adjacent week, pinch Ostapenko slated to beryllium a prospective last-16 force successful Madrid.

The two-year hold is complete for Holger Rune.

The 21-year-old Dane has yet sewage his hands connected different ATP trophy aft beating puerility friend Carlos Alcaraz to nan Barcelona title.

The reward is simply a leap backmost into nan world's apical 10 - arsenic good arsenic nan customary jump into nan pool.

Alexander Zverev whitethorn not person made nan astir of chasing down banned world number 1 Jannik Sinner, but nan German ensured he did not suffer immoderate further crushed - and moved backmost supra Alcaraz to number 2 - aft claiming nan Munich title.

Hungary's Fabian Marozsan has surgery backmost into nan apical 60 aft reaching his first ATP semi-final.

In nan WTA rankings, Ostapenko has made nan astir notable advancement aft lifting nan Stuttgart title.

The Latvian, who hit world number 1 Aryna Sabalenka successful Monday's final, has climbed backmost into nan apical 20.

Elina Svitolina is conscionable retired of Ostapenko's scope aft nan Ukrainian won nan Rouen title, pinch beaten finalist Olga Danilovic group to move up to a career-high 34th.

The world's champion person converged connected Madrid for nan adjacent ATP Masters-WTA 1000 mixed arena of nan season.

Nineteen of nan apical 20 men are playing - only Jannik Sinner remains missing - pinch two-time champion Carlos Alcaraz classed arsenic nan favourite connected a faster clay aboveground wherever nan balls usually recreation quicker because of Madrid's altitude.

Russia's Andrey Rublev is nan defending champion.

All of nan women's apical 20 are group to compete successful nan Spanish capital.

Swiatek defends her title arsenic she looks to bounce backmost and adjacent nan spread connected Sabalenka astatine nan apical of nan rankings.

Sabalenka mightiness not yet person mastered nan clay courts for illustration she has nan difficult courts - but her 2 titles connected nan reddish ungraded person some travel successful - you've guessed it - Madrid.

British number ones Jack Draper and Katie Boulter took to nan believe courts past week alternatively of playing successful tournaments earlier Madrid, while Emma Raducanu has spent clip doing a training artifact successful Los Angeles.

The trio will return to competitory action successful Madrid this week.

In nan men's doubles, Joe Salisbury and Neal Skupski missed retired connected their first title together - but location was still a British champion successful Barcelona.

Luke Johnson and Dutch partner Sander Arends took nan trophy aft a tight 6-3 6-7 10-6 triumph complete Salisbury and Skupski.

Three British players - Eden Silva, Emily Appleton and Maia Lumsden - competed successful nan Rouen women's doubles main draw, but mislaid their respective matches.

And what astir nan adjacent generation? Junior US Open champion Mika Stojsavljevic won nan under-18 girls' title astatine nan National Championships, while Oliver Bonding claimed nan boys' event.

Both winners are rewarded pinch wildcards into Wimbledon qualifying and a spot successful nan main tie of nan Junior Championships.

With truthful galore master tennis tournaments taking spot crossed nan world, and crossed truthful galore levels, it tin beryllium difficult to support up pinch everything from 1 week to nan next.

As portion of BBC Sport's committedness to connection much for tennis fans, Second Serve will beryllium your play round-up of nan biggest stories successful nan sport.

As good arsenic nan main talking point, you tin spot which ATP and WTA players are making important advancement - aliases struggling for form, really nan British contingent are doing and what nan adjacent stops connected nan calendars are.

You tin also motion up to get nan latest tennis news from BBC Sport delivered consecutive to your mobile phone.