After a lengthy wait, Iga Swiatek’s return to the court was certainly worthwhile. The Polish tennis star’s first match in Stuttgart saw her breeze past a challenging Chinese opponent Qinwen Zheng, with a scoreline of 6:1, 6:4, to progress to the quarter-finals where she will face Czech player Karolina Pliskova.
On Thursday, a shocking upset occurred as the Chinese player was soundly defeated by her Polish opponent in the first set of their match. The Chinese player had made many errors, resulting in her dropping consecutive games in rapid succession. The Pole won the set 6:1 in just half an hour, a stunning result that marked a stark difference from the pair’s previous meetings.
Iga Świątek of Poland secured a decisive victory in the second set of the match, with the match ending shortly after. Świątek had the advantage early on, leading with a breakpoint, but her rival displayed her skills and talent to recover, leading 4-5. It was Świątek who secured the decisive break in the ninth game, and quickly followed with a win in the next set, confirming her victory. Her rival is considered one of the most talented tennis players of the young generation, making the victory all the more impressive.
Iga Świątek – Qinwen Zheng 2-1 (6-1, 6-4)