Lindsay Davenport suggested during her match commentary that the Cincinnati Open scheduling favored Iga Swiatek more than Elena Rybakina, and she did not find it fair.
On Sunday, Swiatek and Rybakina started their semifinal match at 1 PM local time. For the 24-year-old Pole, it was her fourth match played at an early slot in Cincinnati. However, there isn't anything surprising there since it's a well-known thing that the six-time Grand Slam champion asks tournaments to schedule her matches for early slots.
On the other side, Rybakina had played two night slot matches in Cincinnati before taking on Swiatek.
Davenport, a former three-time Grand Slam champion, covered the match for Tennis Channel.
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"Both matches against Mertens and Keys, both at night (for Elena). I don't believe Swiatek ever played even in the late afternoon. I believe she was early every single day. You get used to these conditions. That's when it doesn't seem totally fair," the former world No. 1 said on air.
In the end, it was the Pole who ended on the winning side after completing a 7-5 6-3 victory.
Davenport also made a big prediction about Swiatek
Davenport may have felt that the Pole was a bit favored with her Cincinnati semifinal scheduling but that doesn't mean that she has an issue with the world No. 3.
On Tennis Channel Live, the American tennis legend was asked to pick who'd win the most Grand Slams among Swiatek, Aryna Sabalenka and Coco Gauff.
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Id say Iga. I say she continues exactly where shes going right now, which is that all-encompassing attitude where everything I want to do is on the tennis court and achieve, and shes so dedicated. Shes got the whole package. I dont see her burning out also anytime soon. So I think Iga ends up with double digits," Davenport said.
Swiatek, who turned 24 in May, has six Grand Slams, while 27-year-old Sabalenka owns three, and Gauff, 21, has two in her collection.
