Iga Swiatek complicated a bit toward the end of her match against Sorana Cirstea but still managedto get the job done in two sets and complete a 6-4 6-3 Cincinnati round-of-16 in just over an hour and a half of play.
The third-seeded Pole got off to a fast start, claiming a break in the very first game of the match. That was enough for the six-time Grand Slam champion to take the first set since she didn't face a single break point on her serve in the opener.
After routinely taking the first set, Swiatek also broke Cirstea in the first game of the second set - but the world No. 138 responded by getting the break back instantly in the second set. However, it didn't seem to bother the No. 3 seed, who registered back-to-back breaks for what looked like a safe 4-1 lead. But then, the Romanian got one break back in the sixth game and also saved two break points in the seventh game to reduce the deficit to 3-4. The eighth game was a tight one but the Pole took it to 5-3 up, before earning another break in the ninth game to seal the win.
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In the Cincinnati quarterfinal, Swiatek will play against the winner of the match between No. 12 seed Ekaterina Alexandrova and 28th-seeded Anna Kalinskaya.
Swiatek is looking to get her hands on the Cincinnati title
After winning her first Wimbledon crown, the 24-year-old surprisingly lost to Clara Tauson in the Montreal round-of-16. In Cincinnati, the former world No. 3 admitted to relaxing too much after Wimbledon.
Winning Wimbledon is a thing that is going to be with you the rest of your life. I let myself be happy a little bit longer, maybe thats why I wasnt so sharp in [Montreal], the new Wimbledon champ admitted a couple of days ago in Cincinnati.
So far, so good for Swiatek in Cincinnati as she is three wins away from winning the American WTA 1000 tournament for the first time.
