2023-08-11 02:15:00
In a long-awaited duel, but which ultimately exercised the patience of the two belligerents, the organizers and Quebec tennis fans, Poland’s Iga Swiatek qualified for the quarter-final round of the National Bank Tennis Open thanks to a three-set 6-1, 4-6, 6-4 win over Czech Karolina Muchova on Thursday at IGA Stadium.
This match between world number one Swiatek and Muchova, their first since their superb showdown in the French Open final exactly two months earlier, started shortly following 12:30 p.m. on center court and ended at 9:37 p.m. .
The match itself lasted two hours 47 minutes. However, it was interrupted on two occasions due to the very bad weather that raged in the Montreal area on Thursday followingnoon.
The first interruption, following the conclusion of the second set, stretched for three hours 20 minutes. The second, which occurred only eight minutes following the resumption of hostilities, lasted two hours 50 minutes.
During the eight minutes of action between the two interruptions, Swiatek had time to register a break of service which allowed him to take a 1-0 lead in the deciding set.
During the second return to the field, the 22-year-old Polish managed to protect this break. This was particularly the case in the fourth game, during which she had two consecutive aces that allowed her to save as many break points and, eventually, give herself a 3-1 lead.
Serving with the possibility of ending this marathon, Swiatek left no hope of a comeback to her rival. She won all four points, the last when Muchova sent a backhand into the net on a second serve.
In the quarterfinals, Swiatek will face the winner of the match that Quebec tennis fans absolutely wanted to see on Thursday – and which should finally take place – between Quebecer Leylah Fernandez and American Danielle Collins.
While Swiatek overcame Muchova on center court, Russia’s Daria Kasatkina also earned her bye to the quarter-finals with a 6-3, 6-4 win over Czech Marie Bouzkova on center court. Rogers.
Kasatkina’s next opponent will be the winner of the match between American Sloane Stephens and Kazakh Elena Rybakina, which will close Thursday night’s action on Rogers Court.
A final singles match, on court number 9, will see Czech Marketa Vondrousova, reigning Wimbledon champion and ninth seed, cross swords with American Coco Gauff, ranked sixth.
The winner of this match will find, in the quarter-finals, the American Jessica Pegula, who defeated the Italian Jasmine Paolini 6-4, 6-0 in the very first duel of the day, completed before the onset of bad weather.
Supported by six aces once morest a single double fault, Pegula defeated Paolini for the fifth time in as many attempts. She did it in just 69 minutes on Rogers Court in the late morning.
In the second set, Pegula, the third player in the world, conceded no points on her serve, and only six points over the last four games of the match.
There will be two round of 16 matches left to play on Friday, including the one between Liudmila Samsonova and world number two Aryna Sabalenka.
The other round of 16 duel will bring together the Czech Petra Kvitova and the Swiss Belinda Bencic.
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