Iga Swiatek Cruises to US Open Quarter-Finals

Iga Swiatek, the world number one advanced confidently to the US Open quarter-finals with a straight-set victory over 16th seed Liudmila Samsonova. The 23-year-old Polish player initially faced a challenge from Samsonova in the first set but secured a 6-4 6-1 win. This marks just the second time Swiatek has reached the quarter-finals at Flushing Meadows; she won the title in 2022. She will now face American sixth seed Jessica Pegula on Wednesday.

Swiatek described the first set as a battle, noting that she had to stay focused and seize her opportunities to break serve. Once she secured the first set, she dominated the second, showing superior speed and precision. Samsonova managed to avoid a ‘bagel’ by holding serve at 5-0 but Iga Swiatek served out the match without conceding a single break point.

Pegula, who reached the quarter-finals with a 6-4 6-2 win over Diana Shnaider is looking to advance beyond this stage for the first time. She has reached the quarter-finals in seven Grand Slam tournaments but has yet to progress further. Pegula feels less pressure this year due to a challenging start to the season and hopes to leverage her past experiences to push through.

Unseeded Karolina Muchova also advanced to the quarter-finals after defeating fifth seed Jasmine Paolini 6-3 6-3. Muchova, who reached the semi-finals in 2023 had been sidelined for ten months due to a wrist injury but is returning to form. She will face 22nd seed Beatriz Haddad Maia, who reached the quarter-finals after a hard-fought 6-2 3-6 6-3 win against Caroline Wozniacki.

Haddad Maia is the first Brazilian to reach the US Open women’s singles quarter-finals since Maria Bueno in 1968.