Swiatek powers past Lee into Warsaw quarter-finals

WARSAW: Iga Swiatek’s victorious homecoming continued with a 6-3, 6-2 defeat of lucky loser Gabriela Lee to reach the Poland Open quarter-finals on Thursday.

The world number one defeated her 146th-ranked Romanian opponent to extend her clay run to 18 wins, putting her overall record for 2022 at 48-4.

French Open champion Swiatek has not lost a match on clay since the 2021 Roland Garros quarter-finals.

Swiatek broke in the seventh game for 4-3, taking advantage of a double fault from Lee with the Romanian failing to make the most of her break point chance when trailing 4-1 in the second set.

Swiatek hit 25 winners to three for her rival and will next face fifth seed, Caroline Garcia, for a place in the semi-finals.

The Frenchwoman defeated Elisabetta Cocciaretto 6-3, 7-5 have also eliminated the Italian in Palermo last week.

Ukraine’s Kateryna Baindl advanced after Italy’s Sara Errani retired trailing 6-2, 3-0 with a back problem and will meet Brazil’s Laura Pigossi.

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