Iga Swiatek notches fightback win to secure a last eight berth

French Open
Iga Swiatek

Iga Swiatek overcame a first set tiebreaker loss to record a 6-7(5), 6-0, 6-2 victory over China’s Zheng Qinwen and book a place in the last eight at Roland Garros.

Swiatek has now won 32 matches in a row despite dropping her first set since 23 April and the Stuttgart semi-finals.

As usual, the World No 1 started aggressively and led the opening set 5-2 before Zheng fought back to level the set saving five set points before claiming the tiebreak.

Swiatek’s response was swift and brutal as she again seized the advantage early in the second set leaping out to a 3-0 lead before Zheng suffered a seemingly catastrophic breakdown.

After a lengthy medical break, Zheng returned with heavily strapped right thigh and after her return lost five straight games in being bagelled in the second set and conceding a 2-0 deficit in the third.

Zheng rallied one last time to hold serve and had two break points to level at 2-2, but Swiatek held on and secured a further break in the seventh game of the decisive stanza before serving out the match.

Swiatek will face Jessica Pegula in the quarter-finals.

One of three remaining hopes for singles glory for America at the French Open, Pegula also had to dig deep to battle past Romania’s Irina-Camelia Begu.

A 4-6, 6-2, 6-3 victory sees Pegula through the last eight in Paris for the first time.

She has now reached the quarter-finals in both of the Grand Slams held so far this year.

Pegula dropped a break early in the first set but righted herself on serve and did not surrender another break point in the match.

She claimed early breaks in both the second and third sets and eased through in a manner that was more comfortable than the scoreline suggests.

Prior to their meeting in Paris on Monday, Pegula had never won a set against Begu.

The Romanian blasted her way to victory their first two meetings, including at the season-opening WTA 250 in Melbourne earlier this year.

Pegula is one of three US players to reach the women’s singles quarterfinals, as Sloane Stephens and Coco Gauff will play in the last eight in the bottom half.

Iga Swiatek

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