Six-time Grand Slam champion Iga Swiatek produced a dominant performance to defeat qualifier Maddison Inglis and reach the quarter-finals of the Australian Open on Monday.
The Polish second seed, chasing her first title in Melbourne, overwhelmed the Australian 6-0, 6-3 on Rod Laver Arena to set up a last-eight clash with fifth seed Elena Rybakina.
Swiatek was in complete control from the outset, breaking Inglis in the opening game and racing through the first set in just 32 minutes, conceding only 13 points.
Inglis had been enjoying a breakthrough tournament after being elevated to a prime-time fourth-round match following Naomi Osaka’s withdrawal due to injury. Her run, which she described as “life-changing”, earned her Aus$480,000 and valuable ranking points, but it came to an abrupt end against a focused and clinical opponent.
“I felt pretty confident from the beginning,” Swiatek said. “The pace of the ball was much different than in my last round, so I needed to adjust with my legs and be really precise with the footwork.”
The 28-year-old Inglis briefly lifted the home crowd early in the second set when she broke serve in the opening game after a string of unforced errors from Swiatek. She celebrated enthusiastically, but the momentum quickly shifted back as Swiatek broke straight back and reasserted her authority.
Swiatek, who has won four French Open titles along with the US Open and Wimbledon, reached the semi-finals in Melbourne last year but lost to eventual champion Madison Keys. This year, she appears determined to go further as she continues her title bid.