Seoul: The reigning Wimbledon champion Iga Swiatek breezed into the quarterfinals at the Women’s Tennis Association (WTA) tournament in Seoul on Thursday. The world No. 2 from Poland defeated Sorana Cirstea of Romania 6-3, 6-2 in the round of 16 at the Korea Open at Olympic Park Tennis Center.
According to Yonhap News Agency, Swiatek, a six-time Grand Slam singles champion, received a bye to the round of 16, marking her first career match in South Korea. In the quarterfinals on Friday, Swiatek will face Barbora Krejcikova, a two-time Grand Slam singles winner from Czechia. Krejcikova outlasted Emma Raducanu, the 2021 U.S. Open champion from Britain, 4-6, 7-6 (12-10), 6-1, in their round of 16 battle that lasted nearly three hours Thursday night.
Also in the round of 16 on Thursday, No. 2 seed Ekaterina Alexandrova defeated Lois Boisson of France 4-6, 6-2, 6-2. Alexandrova, the 2022 Korea Open winner, will next play Ella Seidel of Germany. Seidel eliminated the defending Korea Open champion Beatriz Haddad Maia 6-7 (4-7), 7-6 (7-3), 7-5 in the round of 16 on Thursday.
The runner-up from last year’s tournament, Daria Kasatkina of Australia, was also sent home in the round of 16, where she lost to Katerina Siniakova of the Czech Republic 7-6 (7-2), 6-2. Siniakova’s opponent in the quarterfinals will be Suzan Lamens of the Netherlands, who got past Diana Shnaider of Russia 6-4, 6-4 in the round of 16.
Of the eight seeded players, Kasatkina (No. 4), Shnaider (No. 5), Haddad Maia (No. 6), Sofia Kenin (No. 7), and Raducanu (No. 8) were all eliminated in the round of 16. The Korea Open is the lone WTA tournament staged in South Korea each fall, with past champions including Maria Sharapova, Venus Williams, Caroline Wozniacki, and Jelena Ostapenko.