World No.1 Iga Swiatek was put through her paces in her opening match at the San Diego Open.
The top seed battled past Chinese world No.28 Zheng Qinwen 6-4, 4-6, 6-1, in a clash that lasted beyond two hours. Swiatek dropped her serve only once against Zheng as she won 74% of her first service points. She has now won 14 out of 18 matches this season which has gone to three sets.
“Qinwen, she has a different game style because she’s playing topspin on her forehand and the ball is flying pretty high,” Swiatek said. “So I had to adjust to that.
“But overall, the first matches of any tournament is about adjusting to the conditions we have here.”
Swiatek is through to her 12th tournament quarter-final of the year, which is more than anybody else on the WTA Tour. Overall, she has recorded 61 wins against eight losses which is another Tour-leading figure.
Awaiting the Pole in the quarter-finals will be Coco Gauff in what will be their first meeting since the final of the French Open, which Swiatek comprehensively won 6-1, 6-3. Gauff, who is the sixth seed in the draw, edged her way past former US Open champion Bianca Andreescu 6-4, 4-6, 6-3.
“I haven’t thought about it,” Gauff said after her latest win. “I’m thinking about my doubles match later today, so we’ll think about that when the time comes.”
“Obviously the level is going to be great. Iga is a champion and it’s going to be an opportunity to see if I have improved since the last time,” she added.
Swiatek boasts a perfect 3-0 head-to-head record against the American and is yet to drop a set against her.
Elsewhere in the draw, second seed Paula Badosa breezed her way into the last eight by thrashing Louisa Chirico 6-0, 6-3, in less than an hour. The dominant performance saw the Spaniard win 56 out of the 81 points played in the match. She will next play Australian Open finalist Danielle Collins who beat Martina Trevisan 6-2, 6-4.
Aryna Sabalenka overcame a difficult start to see off Sloane Stephens 1-6, 6-3, 6-2, in what was a rollercoaster encounter. The Belarussian is playing in her first tournament since the US Open and will take on Donna Vekic in the next round.
Finally, Madison Keys knocked out eighth seed Daria Kasatkina 6-4, 6-3, to set up an all-American showdown with Jessica Pegula.
