Iga Swiatek reached the fourth round of the 2022 US Open on Saturday after defeating American Lauren Davis, 6-3, 6-4. The match was completed a minute shy of two hours.
Swiatek imposed herself on Davis in the opening set and an early break of the latter’s serve propelled the world no. 1 to a 3-0 lead. Davis staved off multiple break points in the sixth game before holding her serve to trail Swiatek 2-4. Neither player faced any break point after that game and in the ninth game, Swiatek went on to serve out the set.
In the second set, it was Davis’ turn to go up an early break. In somewhat of a parallel with the first set, Davis fended off break points in the fifth game to push herself 4-1 ahead. However, in the seventh game, she was broken to love which brought the set back on serve. Another break on the world no. 105’s serve in the ninth game allowed Swiatek to serve out the match in the 10th.
Swiatek’s now made it to the round-of-16 – her best in the Slam – for two straight years.
US Open: Danielle Collins revives American hopes
Meanwhile, at the start of the day, Petra Kvitova came through in a hard-fought tussle against Garbine Muguruza. The Czech, seeded 21st, came from 2-5 down in the deciding set and even saved two match points to oust the ninth seed, 5-7, 6-3, 7-6(12-10) after two hours and 38 minutes of play.
Kvitova’s serve was perfect in the first five games of the opening set and at one point she’d won 100% of her first-serve points. However, Kvitova’s level dipped and Muguruza was able to up hers to take the opener. Muguruza fell down an early break to Kvitova in the second and unlike in the first where she was able to break back, this time, her opponent didn’t give her any chance to make a comeback.
The deciding set swung decidedly as the Spaniard gained the upper hand before Kvitova began to write her comeback, eventually ending it on a high after winning the tie-break and the match.
Lastly, in the last match of the day at the US Open, 19th seed Danielle Collins reached the fourth round after defeating Alize Cornet 6-4, 7-6(9). Cornet saved three set points in the second set tie-break before clinching the match on her second match point.
Photo Credit: Dustin Satloff/USTA