Intro:
World number two Iga Swiatek delivered a commanding performance to reach her third Australian Open quarterfinal on Monday.
Melbourne
World No. 2 Iga Swiatek continued her impressive run at the Australian Open on Monday, defeating Australian qualifier Maddison Inglis in straight sets to book a place in the quarterfinals. The second seed dropped just three games in a clinical 6-0, 6-3 victory on Rod Laver Arena, marking her 14th career Grand Slam quarterfinal appearance and her third at Melbourne Park.
The match was notable as it marked the first time Swiatek had faced an Australian player at the Australian Open. While the two had met previously on home soil — with Swiatek defeating Inglis 6-1, 6-2 at the 2021 Adelaide tournament — this encounter showcased the Pole’s growing dominance on the sport’s biggest stages.
Swiatek wasted little time asserting control, breaking serve early and racing through the opening set 6-0. Her relentless baseline power, depth of shot and precise movement proved too much for Inglis, despite the home favourite showing flashes of resistance through strong serving and confident early point construction.
Several extended rallies highlighted Swiatek’s superiority, including an intense 11-shot exchange where her aggressive groundstrokes forced errors from Inglis. Although Inglis produced moments of brilliance with well-placed serves and smart court positioning, Swiatek consistently raised her level at crucial moments. The opening set was sealed with a spectacular backhand overhead winner from a defensive position, underlining her athleticism and composure.
In the second set, Inglis showed commendable fighting spirit, managing to hold serve more effectively and push Swiatek into longer games. However, the world number two remained composed, absorbing pressure and striking decisively when opportunities arose. Serving for the match for the second time, Swiatek delivered a flawless game, holding serve to love and closing out the contest 6-3 with a series of aggressive forehands.
With the win, Swiatek set up a highly anticipated quarterfinal clash against fifth seed Elena Rybakina. Swiatek leads their head-to-head record 6-5, though Rybakina claimed their only previous Australian Open meeting, winning 6-4, 6-4 in the fourth round in 2023.
