Swiatek regroups from set down to sweep past Sakkari and into Cincinnati last 16
Iga Swiatek dropped the first set to Maria Sakkari before sweeping the next two 6-1, 6-1 to reach the Cincinnati last 16, extending her winning streak to eight matches since lifting the Toronto title last week.
Iga Swiatek, Cincinnati 2026 | © Cincinnati Open
Pole Iga Swiatek, the No. 7 seed, reached the last 16 of the Cincinnati Open by beating Greek Maria Sakkari, the No. 29 seed, 4-6, 6-1, 6-1 on Monday, recovering from a tough opening set to close it out in a rush.
Swiatek, ranked No. 5, will next face Frenchwomen Diane Parry who defeated Lois Boisson (4-6, 6-4, 6-3).
Sakkari, the former world No. 3, took the first set as the sharper player, but Swiatek reset and swept the last two sets for the loss of just two games. “It’s hard to analyze it. Honestly I felt like I was playing quite good in the first set, sometimes I just lacked precision,” she said. “I really wanted to start pushing her so she doesn’t get so many opportunities to push me. I’m happy in the second set it started working.”
The win extended Swiatek’s winning streak to eight matches, carrying the form that took her to the Toronto title last week into a seventh straight win at this event, where she is the defending champion.
It was also her fifth consecutive appearance in the Cincinnati last 16 and her 31st win of the season. Swiatek had beaten Colombian qualifier Emiliana Arango 6-3, 6-0 to reach the second round, while Sakkari, ranked No. 32, had defeated Uzbekistan’s Kamilla Rakhimova 6-2, 5-7, 6-1 to get there.
Cincinnati WTA 1000, 3rd Round (Round of 32)
- A. Sabalenka (1) vs X. Wang
- S. Bejlek vs E. Alexandrova (16)
- K. Siniakova (33) vs M. Keys (19)
- X. Wang vs E. Svitolina (8)
- C. Gauff (4) vs A. Li (28)
- M. Bouzkova (22) vs I. Jovic (15)
- M. Kostyuk (10) vs S. Stephens
- J. Tjen (32) vs M. Andreeva (5)
- L. Noskova (6) vs O. Tauson (27)
- A. Eala (17) vs A. Anisimova (9)
- S. Cirstea (16) vs A. Kalinskaya (19)
- E. Navarro (25) vs J. Pegula (3)
- I. Swiatek (7) vs M. Sakkari (29): 4-6, 6-1, 6-1
- D. Perry d. L. Boisson: 4-6, 6-4, 6-3
- D. Shnaider (14) vs M. Chwalinska (19)
- M. Frech vs E. Rybakina (2)
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