WUHAN, Oct 7: Iga Swiatek powered her way to the third round of the WTA’s 1,000-level Wuhan Open on Tuesday with a straight sets win against Marie Bouzkova.
Wimbledon champion Swiatek bounced back impressively after her fourth round exit at the China Open last week, winning 6-1, 6-1 against the Czech opponent.
The victory was the six-time grand slam winner’s 60th this year and the fourth year in a row she has reached that figure.
No. 2 seed Swiatek will play Belinda Bencic or Elise Mertens in the next round.
Earlier Emma Raducanu retired ill from her first round match.
The British No.1 and former US Open champion had her blood pressure checked and temperature taken in her match against American Ann Li.
Li was winning 6-1, 4-1 when Raducanu retired and will play No.9 seed Ekaterina Alexandrova in the second round.
Naomi Osaka dropped the first set before rallying to beat Leylah Fernandez 4-6, 7-5, 6-3 to advance to the second round.
Osaka was back in the central Chinese city for the first time since 2017 and, in the day’s first match on centre court, facing the player who produced a major upset to beat her at the 2021 US Open.
In other early matches, Sofia Kenin of the United States edged Russia’s Anastasia Zakharova 3-6, 7-6 (5), 6-3. Kenin will not face No. 16 Liudmila Samsonova in the second-round.
Samsonova beat Emiliana Arango 6-1, 7-5 in the first round. (AP)
