Defending champion Iga Swiatek recovered from a poor begin to defeat Victoria Azarenka and attain the quarter-finals of the Italian Open in Rome, extending her profitable streak to 25 matches.
The world No.1, bidding for a fifth consecutive title, started the match with a slew of errors on Thursday and trailed 3-0, however battled again to assert a 6-4 6-1 victory.
The primary set alone took 79 minutes, with Swiatek saving eight of the 11 break factors she confronted, however the Pole discovered her type in the second to maneuver by means of to an intriguing conflict with Bianca Andreescu.
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“For sure I didn’t start well, and everybody could see that,” admitted Swiatek.
“But I’m really happy with the way I reacted and how I improved in the first set.
“Additionally how totally different the second set seemed to the primary one as a result of I may actually reset and actually change the best way I performed. That is probably the most optimistic factor for me.”
The last player to win more consecutive matches than Swiatek was Serena Williams, who had a streak of 27 in a row over 2014 and 2015.
“It does not actually matter for me as a result of each match is totally different,” Swiatek shrugged.
“In lots of matches, I struggled this season, although I gained them. Something can occur. Each match is a distinct story.”
Her run makes her outstanding favourite to win a second French Open, which gets under way in 10 days.
When Swiatek won at Roland Garros in 2020 she was ranked No.54, making her the lowest-ranked woman to win the Paris major in the Open era.
Former US Open champion Andreescu missed the start of this season after struggling with the mental toll of breakthrough success as a teenager but remains a major talent and is having her best week since reaching the final of the Miami Open more than a year ago.
The Canadian, now 21, defeated Croatian Petra Martic 6-4 6-4 while third seed Aryna Sabalenka, another player struggling for form recently, impressed in a 6-1 6-4 win over Madrid finalist Jessica Pegula.
Jil Teichmann beat Elena Rybakina 6-7 (7-3) 6-3 7-5 in a match that lasted more than three hours.
In an all-American battle, Amanda Anisimova emerged a 6-2 6-2 winner over Danielle Collins, while fourth seed Maria Sakkari defeated Coco Gauff 6-4 7-5.
Daria Kasatkina knocked second seed Paula Badosa out with a 6-4 6-4 victory.
