Iga Swiatek got down to the business of preserving her No. 1 ranking as the top seed hammered Claire Liu 6-4, 6-0 on Thursday to reach the third round of the French Open.
The Polish defending champion needs to reach at least the quarter-finals next week to hold off No. 2 Aryna Sabalenka.
Against American No. 102 Liu, swiatek was relentless in a 90-minute victory, producing 24 winners and 23 unforced errors in wind-blown conditions at Roland Garros.
“Patience is important on clay,” the winner said a day after turning 22. “it’s easy to reset the rally.
“I’m able to easily get used to the wind, it was crazy (last February) in Doha but I felt good.
“But I’m still trying to get my rhythm.”
Swiatek needed 54 minutes to win the opening set as she twice came from a break down; she picked up the pace, sweeping the second.
The seed earned her 30th match win of the season, standing level with Elena Rybakina with both women one behind Sabalenka.
Swiatek, who is bidding for a Paris trophy hati trick, improved to 23-2 at the tournament.
Rome champion Rybakina lifted her season match-wins total to 30 as the defending Wimbledon champion beat Czech teenager Linda Noskova 6-3, 6-3.
Rybakina is closing in on her season-best tally of 37, produced during her breakthrough 2022 campaign.
She has now won eight straight matches on clay.
The Kazakh stands 9-4 at Roland-Garros and will hope to extend her streak in the third round when she plays Spain’s Sara Sorribes Tormo.
“It t was a tough match for me, a lot of ups and downs from my side,” Rybakina said.
“She’s a great player and was serving really well. I’m just happy to get to another round.”
Ons Jabeur, the seventh seed, produced a quick 71-minute victory over Oceane Dodin of France.
Beatriz Haddad Maia reached the third round at a major for the first time in her career at age 27 with a defeat of Diana Shnaider 6-2, 5-7, 6-4 which took nearly two and three-quarter hours.
No. 138 outsider Kayla Day is making the most of her first Grand Slam main draw since the US Open in 2016, upset former Paris finalist Madison Keys, 6-2, 4-6, 6-4.
The American qualifier now has a chance for an unprecedented place in the second week of a major when she plays for the fourth round against Anna-Karolina Schmiedlova.
“I just kept fighting until the end,” Day said. “I played really good defense at really important points.
“I think that’s what got me the win today.
“I’ve I worked so hard to improve my movement on clay, I think I feel really comfortable on the clay now.
“That’s helped make the biggest difference in my game playing at this level. I feel comfortable.”
Keys did not help her own cause with 74 unforced errors against an opponent coached by former Wimbledon winner Pat Cash.
Teenaged qualifier Mirra Andreeva, ranked 143, crushed French wild card Diane Perry 6-2, 6-1 in an hour and a quarter while Italy’s Elisabetta Cocciaretto beat Swiss Simona Waltert 6-2, 6-3.
Wang Xinyu won a match containing 14 breaks of serve, defeating Swede Rebecca Peterson 7-6(5), 6-2 to reach the third round of a major for the first time.
