Ultimately, hats off to Kawa and Swiatek because they performed amazingly well for their country. They were, after all, facing Siniakova, the world’s No. 1 women’s doubles player.
“It’s amazing that we made history for Poland – a dream come true,” Swiatek said. “I’ve missed out on this event a few times, but now I have a chance to play and I want to make an impact and do something good.
“I’m so happy that I finally got the opportunity and this tournament is amazing. The atmosphere is great and the whole experience is great. I’m also very happy because we have great players in the team.
“I am very proud of Katarzyna, myself and the whole team for fighting today because we were not favorites in the doubles.
“I’m very happy that Katarzyna was leading the doubles, she chose the right tactics and told me what to do because I haven’t played doubles for a while. I think we made a really good team.”
As the tie continued and ended after midnight, it may be an exaggeration to say that Kawa celebrated her birthday while on court, but she turned 32 during the doubles.
