On Monday, Iga Świątek qualified for the quarter-finals of the Australian Open for the first time in her (young) career. The Polish tennis star had to struggle against the Romanian Sorana-Mihaela Cristea.

Things did not start well for Iga as she was quickly broken and led 2-0. However, she managed to break back soon after and kept her service games until 5-5. At this very moment, it is the Romanian who suddenly elevated her level and broke at this crucial moment before winning the first set 7-5 in almost an hour.

https://twitter.com/AustralianOpen/status/1485560102723756034?s=20

In the second set, the score was 3-2 in favour of Świątek and Cristea had two opportunities to come back at 3-3. Yet the Pole made wiser decisions and prevented the Romanian from imposing her pace and broke her to make it 4-2. Shortly after, Świątek put the record straight by equalising to one set all (6-3). 

At 3-3 in the final set, Iga put enormous pressure on her opponent by playing long and aggressive balls. This would be the definitive turning of the match. The number 9 in the world finished the job with authority (6-3). 

Iga Świątek’s next opponent will be the 36-year old Estonian Kaia Kanepi (WTA-115th). The latter played a sensational match in the previous round against the Belarussian number 2 in the world Aryna Sabalenka. Even though Iga is the favourite in this upcoming encounter, the victory will be anything but easy if the Estonian played as she did against Sabalenka. 

Kaia Kanepi’s higher rank was number 15 in 2012, and she just became the 15th active player to have reached the last eight at every Grand Slam. Fun fact: she was already a professional tennis player when Iga Świątek was born, in 2001!

The Świątek-Kanepi quarter-final is to be played in the night from Tuesday to Wednesday at midnight (GMT).

Cover photo: Twitter @iga_swiatek

Author: Sebastien Meuwissen