NEW DELHI: World number one Iga Swiatek stormed into the quarter-finals of the French Open with a commanding 6-0, 6-0 victory over Russia's Anastasia Potapova in just 40 minutes on Sunday. The Polish star displayed her dominance on Court Philippe-Chatrier, leaving Potapova with no chance to establish her game.
Despite playing in the second week of a Grand Slam for the first time, Potapova found herself completely outmatched by Swiatek's relentless performance. The top seed's precision and power were on full display, as she wrapped up the first set in a mere 19 minutes, leaving the Russian reeling.
Potapova did manage to challenge Swiatek's serve on a few occasions, securing a couple of winners, but these moments were fleeting. Swiatek's near-flawless play overwhelmed Potapova, who struggled to find answers to the top seed's barrage of shots.
The crowd's attempts to rally behind Potapova proved futile as Swiatek maintained her composure and focus, capitalizing on the Russian's errors to secure an early break and consolidate her lead.
The only minor obstacle Swiatek encountered was the swirling wind, with the roof left open after several days of rain. However, this did little to deter her as she swiftly put Potapova out of her misery. The Russian made a quick exit from the court, clearly disheartened by the lopsided loss.
Swiatek will now face fifth seed Marketa Vondrousova in the quarter-finals, as she continues her quest for another French Open title.
Wimbledon champion Vondrousova halted the run of Serbian qualifier Olga Danilovic 6-4, 6-2 on Sunday.
(With inputs from Reuters)
