(Beijing) The world’s second player Iga Swiatek conceded only two games en route to a one-sided 6-1, 6-1 victory against her compatriot Magda Linette on Wednesday, allowing her to reach the quarters final of the China Open.
Swiatek reached the quarterfinals of a WTA tournament for 14e times this season. She will face the winner of the duel between ninth seed Carolina Garcia and Anhelina Kalinina on Friday.
Earlier Wednesday, Jelena Ostapenko defeated fourth seed Jessica Pegula 6-4, 6-2. The Latvian, 13e seeded, hit 24 winners and committed 11 unforced errors.
PHOTO ANDY WONG, ASSOCIATED PRESS
Jessica Pegula
Ostapenko will meet in the next round with the 22e world player Liudmila Samsonova. The Russian defeated Marta Kostyuk 6-4, 6-7 (4) and 7-5.
Top seed Aryna Sabalenka and reigning U.S. Open champion Coco Gauff will play their next match on Thursday.
At the Shanghai Masters, Dusan Lajovic surprised Swiss Stanislas Wawrinka 6-4, 7-6 (7).
For his part, Brendan Nakashima defeated Bernabe Zapata Miralles 6-1, 7-6 (3) and will cross swords in the second round with third seed Holger Rune.
Japan’s Yoshihito Nishioka ousted Daniel Altmeier 6-4, 3-6, 7-6 (2), setting the table for a match against eighth seed Casper Ruud.
Other first-round winners include Thanasi Kokkinakis, Mackenzie McDonald, Fabian Marozsan, Jaume Munar, Yannick Hanfmann and China’s Yunchaokete Bu.
Andy Murray will face Chengdu Open finalist Roman Safiullin at the end of the day on Wednesday.
The top 32 players in the world, including Carlos Alcaraz, Daniil Medvedev and Félix Auger-Aliassime, received a bye into the second round, which begins Saturday.
Auger-Aliassime, 14e seeded, will meet for the occasion with the Hungarian Marton Fucsovics.
