US Open Women’s Day 6

Top seed Iga Swiatek kept up her quest for a record-levelling seventh title of the season on Saturday, recovering against Lauren Davis with a 6-3, 6-4 win on Saturday at the US Open 

Swiatek, holder of two Roland Garros trophies, has bounced back nicely after the end of her 37-match win streak this season which led her to six titles.

One more would pull her level with the seven won by Serena Williams in 2014.

Since losing to Alize Cornet at Wimbledon, the 21-year-old Pole has won seven of her 10 matches, including success over the 105th-ranked Davis.

Swiatek won the opening set but went down a break early in the second.

Trailing 4-1 against the US outsider, she methodically worked her way back to earn the win, winning the last five games. 

“I couldn’t find my rhythm today,” she said. “She plays different than most players. 

“I’m glad I could keep putting the balls into the court. it was a tough match.”

Swiatek did not want to reveal her feelings about playing after dark, lest a future opponent might be watching the telecast.

“I try to adjust to any possible situation. Night sessions have a totally different rhythm than the day.

“But it’s fun to play in front of an almost full house.

Swiatek is into the New York fourth round for a second straight year.

.Petra Kvitova extended her long-term domination of Spain’s Garbine Muguruza in a showdown between double Grand Slam winners, with the Czech producing a 5-7, 6-3, 7-6 (10) victory into the fourth round.

Kvitova, with a pair of Wimbledon trophies to her credit, won her sixth straight match in the series, with her only loss coming at the pair’s initial meeting in 2015.

“It was a tough fight against her, even if I did have the better head-to-head,” Kvitova said.

“But maybe that helped me a bit, gave me some confidence.”

Kvitova saved two match points in the final set on her way to victory in nearly two and three-quarter hours.

She will aim for the quarter-finals against American Jessica Pegula, a 6-2, 6-7(6), 6-0 winner over China’s Yuan Yue.

Kvitova admitted she was troubled by nerves in her battle with Muguruza. 

“It was a great match, a great fight,,” said the 16-time competitor at the Open.

Kvitova overcame 50 unforced errors and struck 43 unforced winners. Muguruza finished with 32 unforced and 21 winners.

“I left everything on the court today, I had my chances,” Muguruza said. 

“I was one point away (match points) from having another phase right now.

“I’m proud of my fighting spirit. I have had some tough losses this year, but definitely this one makes me feel like my fighting spirit was there, my tennis was there.”

Since finishing runner-up at the Australian Open two years ago to Sofia Kenin, Muguruza has failed to get past the fourth round of any of the 10 Grand Slams she has played.

Another two-time Wimbledon champion, Victoria Azarenka, joined Kvitova in the last 16 as she defeated Petra Martic 6-3, 6-0 in 81 minutes with 22 winners.

Azarenka, three times the New York runner-up, excels on hardcourt, with 20 of her 21 titles coming on the surface. She has now reached the fourth round here for the seventh time in her career.

“I started very solid and I kept my foot on the gas pedal and just really kept raising my intensity, game after game.

“I had to be the one in control,” the winner said of her victory over Martic. “I didn’t want her to move me around.

“I felt like I put on a new set of tires in the second set and really started running well. I was able to change from defense to offense.

“I’m playing for fun right now,’ the 33-year-old mother of one said. “But I still want to reach my potential.”

Karolina Pliskova ousted Swiss 13th seed Belinda Bencic in a 5-7, 6-4, 6-3 comeback match featuring 13 breaks of serve.

 “It was very disappointing for me,” Bencic said. “In the end of course, every loss is very tough, especially at the Grand Slams. 

“I feel I played a good first set. It was tight. I mean, just some chances we both maybe didn’t use. 

“I don’t know. Just really disappointing. I got super tight.”