World number one Iga Swiatek continued her dominant run at the US Open, cruising into the fourth round with a 6-4, 6-2 victory over Anastasia Pavlyuchenkova on Saturday. The Polish star, who has won five titles this year including the French Open, faced a stern test against the experienced Russian, but ultimately proved too strong.
Swiatek, who won the US Open title in 2022, broke Pavlyuchenkova in the opening game and raced to a 3-1 lead. However, the former French Open runner-up fought back to stay in contention, holding serve in a tense four-deuce game to pull within 4-3.
Undeterred, Swiatek regained control of the set, serving out the first set with a love game without facing a break point. The second set was even more one-sided, as Swiatek broke Pavlyuchenkova at love for a 2-1 lead and never looked back.
Pavlyuchenkova, who had lost 6-0, 6-0 to Swiatek in their only prior meeting on the Rome clay last year, showed flashes of her best tennis but was unable to sustain her challenge. Swiatek’s superior power and consistency proved too much for the Russian, who was forced to bow out in the third round.
Swiatek will now face 16th-seeded Liudmila Samsonova of Russia for a place in the quarter-finals. Samsonova, who reached the fourth round of the US Open last year, has been in impressive form this season, winning the Washington Open title and reaching the semi-finals of the Canadian Open.
The match between Swiatek and Samsonova promises to be a fascinating clash of styles. Swiatek is known for her aggressive baseline play and powerful forehand, while Samsonova is a more versatile player who can mix up her game with slices, drop shots, and angles.
