Iga Swiatek Defeats Yuan Yue to Advance at China Open

BEIJING, China (AP) — Iga Swiatek, the Wimbledon champion, defeated Yuan Yue 6-0, 6-3 on Saturday to advance to the third round of the China Open, marking a significant milestone in her career.

With this victory, Swiatek became the first player in WTA history to achieve 25 or more wins at WTA-1000 events over three consecutive seasons. The world No. 2 had previously won the Korea Open, adding to her impressive six Grand Slam titles, which include four French Opens and one U.S. Open.

Swiatek’s performance on Saturday was dominant, and she faced little resistance from Yuan, ranked 58th in the world. “Once I get ahead, it’s tough to stop me,” Swiatek said after the match, highlighting her confidence in her gameplay.

In other matches on Saturday, fourth-seeded Mirra Andreeva defeated Zhu Lin 6-2, 6-2, and American Emma Navarro won against Elena-Gabriel Ruse 6-3, 7-6 (0). Later on, Naomi Osaka and Emma Raducanu were scheduled to compete in their second-round matches.

The China Open is part of a larger tennis event, running alongside an ATP 500 tournament. Jannik Sinner, who recently reached the U.S. Open finals, also played on Saturday. He had an impressive start, defeating Marin Cilic and was set to face Terence Atmane next.

Swiatek continues to set records and build on her winning streak, having not lost in the opening match of a WTA tournament for over four years. Her win against Yuan not only secures her place in the next round but also affirms her status as one of the leading figures in women’s tennis.