Swiatek Storms Into US Open Third Round

World No. 1 Iga Swiatek delivered a masterclass at the US Open on Thursday, demolishing Japanese qualifier Ena Shibahara 6-0, 6-1 in just 61 minutes. The Polish star, already a three-time champion at Flushing Meadows, showcased her trademark precision and focus to breeze through the second round.

After a rocky first-round match filled with unforced errors, Swiatek flipped the script : 'I just felt the rhythm much better today,' she said post-match. Her first-serve accuracy hit 89% in the opening set, leaving Shibahara—ranked outside the top 200—struggling to keep up.

Shibahara briefly rallied in the second set, saving three break points to avoid a 6-0, 6-0 'double bagel' defeat. But Swiatek’s relentless play proved unstoppable, closing out the match with five consecutive games.

'I wanted to stay in the zone no matter the score,' Swiatek emphasized. Next up? A third-round clash against either Anastasia Pavlyuchenkova or Elisabetta Cocciaretto.

In other action, China’s Wang Xinyu fell to Kazakhstan’s Yulia Putintseva in straight sets, exiting the tournament.

Reference(s):

Clinical Swiatek cruises past qualifier Shibahara to reach third round

cgtn.com