Women’s top seed Iga Swiatek is still yet to drop a set on her quest for US Open glory, with her latest fourth round win coming against Russia’s Liudmila Samsonova.
Iga Swiatek was made to work for 90 minutes as she earned victory over 16th seeded Liudmila Samonova 6-4, 6-1.
Only in the last eight for the second time, Swiatek’s last visit to the latter stages at Flushing Meadows saw her lift the title in 2022.
After a close first set, in which the 25-year-old Russian saved two break points, Swiatek dug deep to nick the opener at the line.
Possibly deflated, the world number marched to a 5-0 lead in the second, and despite Samonsova avoiding the dreaded ‘bagel’, could only manage a single game.
Without having faced a single break point in the match, Swiatek marches on to the last eight where she plays American Jessica Pegula, who is yet to ever progress past the quarter-finals at a major.
Iga Swiatek withholds details about her impressive serving at the US Open
With three aces and 88% of first serve points won, Swiatek is making a healthy habit of dominating on her serve.
Having only dropped her serve twice in her four US Open matches so far, the Pole was understandably secretive about her path to serving supremacy.
“I started focusing on a different thing when I serve and before the movement, but I’m not going to go into details,” she told reporters at her press conference.
“I feel like I have been serving well for most of the season, so I just keep doing the work we have already started and I know it’s a process, you always have to remind yourself of the right things. I feel like I have had a good rhythm this week on my serve.”
After Swiatek’s agonising Olympics where she missed out on gold, the world number one has truly got back to her bullish best this past week in New York.
Can Jessica Pegula break down the Iga Swiatek serve?
An unwanted record in major quarter-finals, Pegula has failed to progress on six occasions and will have to be at her best if she’s not to make it seven.
With just one defeat in her last 14 matches to Aryna Sabalenka in Cincinnati, Pegula maintained her title in Toronto.
The pair have played nine matches against each other with Swiatek winning six, including a 6-1, 6-0, thrashing in their most recent clash at the WTA Finals.
High praise for Pegula from compatriot Frances Tiafoe proves that the 30-year-old’s form is making waves in all directions.
Despite recent hiccups on the biggest stages, Pegula has nothing to lose in this one, with Swiatek expected to continue her ruthless streak.
A truly smart player, Pegula has the weapons and the clarity of mind to overcome the world number one – It might just be nerves and history that hold her back.
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