By Richard Pagliaro | Thursday, August 17, 2023
Iga Swiatek roared through 12 of the last 14 games defeating Qinwen Zheng 3-6, 6-1, 6-1, while fourth-seeded Elena Rybakina retired in the second set.
Photo credit: Getty
On a breezy day, champions went disparate ways in Cincinnati.
World No. 1 Iga Swiatek recovered, while fourth-seeded Elena Rybakina retired.
More: ESPNEWS, ESPN+ to Broadcast US Open Qualifying
Reigning Roland Garros and US Open champion Swiatek roared through 12 of the last 14 games defeating Qinwen Zheng 3-6, 6-1, 6-1.
The top-seeded Swiatek won 16 of 21 points played on her serve in the decisive set raising her 2023 record to 52-8, including a 26-5 mark on clay.
Swiatek advanced to her first Cincinnati quarterfinal where she will face Marketa Vondrousova in a clash of reigning Grand Slam champions.
Wimbledon winner Vondrousova opened today's play winning 33 of 39 first-serve points to stop Sloane Stephens 7-5, 6-3.
The 10th-seeded Czech saved three of four break points beating Stephens in their first encounter to improve to 32-11 on the season. Vondrousova reached her fifth WTA 1000 quarterfinal and first since the 2020 Rome.
The 22-year-old Swiatek swept Vondrousova 6-1, 6-2 in their lone prior meeting at the 2020 Roland Garros.
The 2022 Wimbledon winner Rybakina held a 6-4, 2-5 lead over Jasmine Paolini when she retired sending the Italian qualifier into a quarterfinal against either seventh-seeded American Coco Gauff or Czech qualifier Linda Noskova.
Rybakina, who outlasted Jelena Ostapenko in three sets yesterday, was wearing taping around her serving shoulder.
Czech Karolina Muchova, who was runner-up to Swiatek at Roland Garros, knocked off eighth-seeded Maria Sakkari 6-2, 3-6, 6-2. Mixing in her slice backhand, Muchova converted four of six break points and exploited six double faults from the Greek.
Muchova will meet either Montreal champion Jessica Pegula or compatiot Marie Bouzkova for a semifinal spot.