Iga Swiatek defeats qualifier Maddison Inglis 6-0, 6-3 at the Australian Open, advancing to a quarter-final clash with Elena Rybakina.
MELBOURNE: Second seed Iga Swiatek emphatically ended the dream run of Australian qualifier Maddison Inglis at the Australian Open.
The Polish world number two delivered a commanding 6-0, 6-3 victory on Rod Laver Arena to book a quarter-final meeting with fifth seed Elena Rybakina.
Swiatek, a six-time Grand Slam champion, is chasing her first title at Melbourne Park.
“I felt pretty confident from the beginning,” said Swiatek after the match.
She acknowledged the need to adjust to the pace after her previous round.
“I felt like the pace of the ball was much different than in my last round, so I needed to adjust with my legs and really be precise with the footwork.”
The match halted the “life-changing” tournament for Inglis, who entered the fourth round after Naomi Osaka’s injury withdrawal.
That run earned the Australian Aus$480,000 and vital ranking points.
Swiatek started aggressively, holding serve to love and breaking Inglis immediately.
The home crowd roared when Inglis won her first point, but Swiatek’s dominance was overwhelming.
She raced through the first set in just 32 minutes, conceding only 13 points.
Inglis briefly rallied in the second set, breaking Swiatek’s serve in the opening game.
The 28-year-old celebrated the break with raised arms, but her lead was short-lived.
Swiatek broke straight back and controlled the remainder of the match to seal victory.
The Pole has won the French Open four times, along with the US Open and Wimbledon titles.
She reached the semi-finals in Melbourne last year before losing to eventual champion Madison Keys.
