World No. 1 Iga Swiatek dug her way out of a second set hole to notch a 6-3, 6-4 win over American Lauren Davis and reach the fourth round of the US Open for the second straight year. The French Open champion came out sharp and fired an unreturnable serve out wide to capture the first set before falling behind 4-1 in the second as Davis raised her level.
Despite the deficit, the feisty Pole stubbornly refused to drop her first set of the tournament, winning a tense 16-shot rally to set up break points at 4-4, which she converted when Davis whacked a backhand into the net. In the end, Swiatek’s superior serving and relentless defense carried the day against Davis, who plays a similar but less potent brand of tennis as Swiatek. The 21-year-old top seed admitted she was not at her best during the two-hour night match at Louis Armstrong Stadium despite reeling off the match’s final five games.
“I couldn’t find my rhythm today,” Swiatek said in an oncourt interview. “She played totally differently than any other player. She played very smart. I’m pretty happy at the end that I could put balls in. “I’m trying to enjoy every match even when it’s not perfect. Just trying to go for it. Trying to find solutions in every situation.”
Swiatek went on a blistering 37-match winning streak earlier this year to claim titles in Roland Garros, Doha, Indian Wells, Miami and Rome but cooled off this summer, losing four matches during the hard-court season.
So far in New York she has put to rest any questions about her form and will be the heavy favourite when she takes on Germany’s Jule Niemeier on Monday after the Wimbledon quarter finalist upset China’s Qinwen Zheng 6-4, 7-6(5) to reach the Round of 16.
Serena lesson
Czech Petra Kvitova sent across 14 aces to down Spanish ninth seed Garbine Muguruza 5-7, 6-3, 7-6(10) in a thrilling third-round duel. Kvitova was in good form heading into Flushing Meadows after reaching the Cincinnati final and reiterated her claim as one of tennis’ great fighters when she saved match point twice late in the third set to push the affair into the tiebreak.
The twice Wimbledon champion said she was inspired by 23-time grand slam winner Serena Williams, whose emotional farewell to the US Open with a gritty, third-round loss to Ajla Tomljanovic on Friday overshadowed the entire tournament. “I watched Serena last night and it was amazing how she was saving those match points, so I tried to do the same,” said Kvitova.
Collins vs Sabalenka
American Danielle Collins came out all guns blazing, hammering 52 winners past the experienced Alize Cornet of France in a 6-4, 7-6(9) win to book her spot in the fourth round of the US Open for the first time. Collins, who finished runner-up at the Australian Open this year, will next face sixth seed Aryna Sabalenka in a battle of hard-hitters for a spot in the quarter finals. Belarusian, a semi-finalist at Flushing Meadows last year, steamrolled qualifier Clara Burel 6-0, 6-2 in just 68 minutes, hitting 27 winners past the 21-year-old from France.
