Six-time Grand Slam champion Iga Swiatek launched her Wuhan Open campaign by triumphing 6-2, 6-1 in an all-Polish battle against lucky loser Magdalena Frech on Wednesday.
Swiatek posted her 40th victory of the season in one hour and 42 minutes and remains on course for a potential quarterfinal showdown with top seed and three-time Wuhan winner Aryna Sabalenka.
"We know each other well, so I just wanted to focus on being consistent and playing as good as possible," Swiatek, the seventh seed, said of Frech.
"I know she is running to every ball always and sometimes using the power of the opponent, so I wanted to not play too crazy but play solid and I’m happy I did that," said Swiatek, who is chasing a qualification spot for the year-end WTA Finals.
Despite the lopsided scoreline, the opening set was tight, lasting more than an hour and requiring Swiatek to erase a 0-2 deficit and save seven of eight break points before she finally took the lead on her fourth set point.
Upping the pressure with her relentless forehand, Swiatek claimed a 10th game in a row to build a 4-0 advantage in the second set.
The former world No 1 briefly lost momentum, getting broken by Frech, but recovered to advance to the round of 16, where she awaits one of two lucky losers, Lanlana Tararudee or Ashlyn Krueger.
British world number 170 Sonay Kartal, who missed six months in 2026 with a spinal stress fracture, upset ninth-seeded Belinda Bencic 6-0, 7-5 to book a date with Jasmine Paolini or Nikola Bartunkova.
Meanwhile, top-seeded Alexander Zverev toughed out two tie-breaks to beat Alexander Bublik 7-6 (8/6), 4-6, 7-6 (7/1) at the Shanghai Masters on Tuesday, winning his first match since being guaranteed the year-end world No 1 ranking.
The 29-year-old German will play Alex de Minaur in the quarterfinals.
"Really difficult match," Zverev said.
"I had some physical issues so, you know, I was maybe slower," he told the crowd.
"My ankle was acting up unfortunately again," Zverev elaborated in an on-court interview, later adding that his decline started in the second set.
"I'm starting to feel my body more, but happy to be through."
Zverev, the current world No 2, was guaranteed the year-end No 1 spot after third-ranked Carlos Alcaraz lost to Zizou Bergs in Shanghai on Monday.
On Tuesday, Zverev called the honour "special", saying it was a different feeling from winning tournaments, adding he was "looking forward" to the responsibility of owning that status.
Neither player could create much trouble for his opponent in the first set as they traded aces to hold serve.
But Zverev found himself under pressure when he was forced to save a set point before making it into a tie-break.
He kept his composure as Bublik squandered three set points in a row, taking the first set with a commanding forehand at the net.
That momentum was cut short when Bublik broke the German's serve in the fifth game of the second set.
Despite a few clutch backhands, a sombre-looking Zverev was unable to avoid tumbling into a deciding third.
The players soon found themselves staring down another tie-break, but this time Zverev raced to a 6-1 lead and closed out the match with an ace. — AFP
- Follow The Herald WhatsApp channel today and stay connected to the stories shaping our world.
The Herald