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Serena Williams's former coach Renae Stubbs recently offered advice to Maria Sakkari on how to counter Iga Swiatek, following their clash in the Indian Wells final on March 17.
Swiatek defeated Maria Sakkari 6-4, 6-0 in the final to clinch her second Indian Wells title, having lifted the trophy in 2022. She also became the first top seed to lift the trophy in California since Victoria Azarenka did it 12 years ago.
In a recent episode of “Racquet’s Rennae Stubbs Tennis Podcast” featuring Rennae Stubbs and Andrea Petkovic, Stubbs advised Sakkari on better strategies to use while playing against Swiatek.
She stated that Ashleigh Barty used to get the better of Swiatek because she would hit the slice in positions on the court that the Pole would find difficult, and likened that strategy to what players like Rafael Nadal, Novak Djokovic, and Daniil Medvedev do.
"There's one player that used to chop Iga [Swiatek], was Ash Barty. Because Ash would hit the slice in the positions on the court, low under the net and put Iga into difficult situations which she had to hit and come in or hit and get back," Stubbs said (at 22:00).
"Swiatek's grip is very extreme, you know, unless she's feeling really really comfortable, that's a very hard shot for her to hit. This is what the great players like Novak [Djokovic], Rafa [Nadal], [Daniil] Medvedev do," she continued.
Stubbs added that Sakkari would have to adapt her game to playing against certain players.
"He stood up on the baseline when he knows he's gonna have to play against the guy that whatever, you know, it's like You have to adapt your game to playing against certain players and so why no throw in a little uncomfortable slice from time to time," the Aussie said.
"When you're hitting the ball hard to Iga Swiatek, you're dead" - Rennae Stubbs
In the same podcast, Stubbs mentioned that when playing against Iga Swiatek, hitting the ball hard wouldn't be a good strategy, and advised Sakkari to improve her slice backhand particularly.
"The thing I would like to say to Maria [Sakkari] in that particular match and I know she can do this and I think she needs to work on her slice backhand. I wouldn't say that to Naomi Osaka, I'm not gonna say that to Iga but like you, you implemented the slice from time to time to get yourself back into the point," Stubbs said (at 24:00).
"When you're hitting the ball hard to Iga you're dead, especially on a slow hard court like that is on Indian Wells," she added.
Maria Sakkari and Iga Swiatek will kick off their Miami Open title pursuit on Friday. The Pole will aim to achieve the Sunshine Double for the second time, having accomplished it for the first time in 2022.
