World No. 9 Iga Swiatek battled past Romania’s Sorana Cirstea 5-7 6-3 6-3 to reach the Australian Open quarter-finals for the first time on Monday night.
“I think it started with being a little bit off rhythm. And then after the first set, I was a little bit shaking,” Swiatek said.
“I feel like during this whole match my stress level was higher than the previous ones. That’s why at the end all these emotions came up.
“This match got so much energy, it was pretty hard to stay calm. For me a week without crying is not a week, so I cry when I lose, I cry when I win.”
Cirsteau was no pushover, as she broke Swiatek on her first game before the Pole levelled at 4-4.
But Cirstea’s groundstrokes were too powerful and the Romanian took then first set.
Swiatek stepped in the second set and the fightback began.
The young Pole took a 4-2 lead and went on to level the match.
Cirstea’s collapse began when she hit a return into the net, giving Swiatek a 3-2 lead.
Then Romanian then broke Swiatek before the 2020 French Open champion took control to take the match.
Swiatek will meet the winner of second seed Aryna Sabalenka and Estonia’s Kaia Kanepi.
