WARSAW, July 29 — Iga Swiatek’s victorious homecoming continued with a 6-3, 6-2 defeat of lucky loser Gabriela Lee to reach the Poland Open quarter-finals on Thursday.
The world number one defeated her 146th-ranked Romanian opponent to extend her clay run to 18 wins, and putting her overall record for 2022 at 48-4.
French Open champion Swiatek has not lost a match on clay since the 2021 Roland Garros quarter-finals.
Swiatek broke in the seventh game for 4-3, taking advantage of a double fault from Lee with the Romanian failing to make the most of her break point chance when trailing 4-1 in the second set.
Swiatek hit 25 winners to three for her rival and will next face fifth seed Caroline Garcia for a place in the semi-finals.
The Frenchwoman defeated Elisabetta Cocciaretto 6-3, 7-5 having also eliminated the Italian in Palermo last week.
Ukraine’s Kateryna Baindl advanced after Italy’s Sara Errani retired trailing 6-2, 3-0 with a back problem and will meet Brazil’s Laura Pigossi. — AFP