Top seed Iga Swiatek showed no mercy to friend and practice partner Kaja Juvan as the defending champion crushed the Slovene qualifier 6-0, 6-1 on Friday to book a predictable place in the US Open fourth round.
Swiatek, with four Grand Slam titles in her resume, extended her Flushing Meadows win streak to 10 matches as the Pole heads towards the business end of the final major of the season.
Swiatek and the 145th-ranked Juvan are best tennis friends with the pair going back a decade as juniors.
But the top seed put emotion on the back burner as she crushed her longtime mate in just 49 minutes to advance to her third consecutive victory in the one-way series.
“My level was high, and I didn’t make a lot of unforced errors,” Swiatek said. “I’m happy with my performance and overall with the way I started.
“I was disciplined and didn’t change my level till the end of the match.”
Swiatek added: “I wanted to focus on myself, and because I knew it would be a little bit harder for me to focus because (she’s) my best friend,
“I’m happy that I could do that and I was fully professional.”
Swiatek is working to defend a title for the fifth time in her career.
The Pole is also fighting off a challenge to her WTA ranking superiority and must advance one round further here than hot rival Aryna Sabalenka, the second seed.
Swiatek polished off the out-matched Juvan with 21 winners against just two for her opponent, with the winner never facing a break point
The top seed now takes on 2017 Roland Garros winner Jelena Ostapenko – a three-time winner in their series – who defeated Bernarda Pera 4-6, 6-3, 6-3 in a third-round encounter.
The comeback of former No. 1 Caroline Wozniacki continued at pace, with the Danish mother of two defeating American Jennifer Brady 4-6, 6-3, 6-1, with the 33-year-old winning 10 of the last 11 games.
“I played really, really well the last set and a half,” the Wozniacki said.
“I didn’t play for a very long time (January, 2020). I didn’t even touch my racquets. I didn’t know where they were.
“I didn’t miss (tennis). I’ve played since I was very, very young. It’s been part of my life and my lifestyle for so long. I needed a break.”
American Brady, 28, also has a comeback story (injury) after not playing for two years from late 2021.
“The toughest part is just not knowing when you’re going to compete again. The unknown is something that – it’s scary. It’s tough, but I’m here, I’m feeling pretty good,” the No. 433 said .
.The 10th-seeded Karolina Muchova hammered No. 132 Taylor Townsend 7-6 (0), 6-3 to equal her fourth-round best here from 2020 as she fought back from an early break down.
This season’s Roland Garros and Cincinnati finalist will aim for a breakthrough New York quarter-final in the next round as she plays No. 53 Wang Xinyu, who reached the second week of a major for the first time through a 4-6, 6-3, 6-2 defeat of Anna Karolina Schmiedlova.
Muchova found 25 winners while Townsend hit 39 unforced errors in defeat.
“The match was played really, really great from the start,: Muchova said. “I’m glad I refocused very well for the (first-set) tiebreak – I played well there.
“At the start of the second set it was a little bit more in my hands.”
Main photo:- Mother of two children, Olivia and James,Caroline Woniacki celebrates victory – by Roger Parker International Sports Fotos Ltd
