(New York) World No. 1 player Iga Swiatek qualified for the U.S. Open Round of 16 on Friday by beating her “best friend” Slovenian Kaja Juvan 6-0, 6-1. , 145th in the world and from qualifying.
After a 2nd round where she was a little less imperial than usual – 6-3, 6-4 victory against the world 322nd Daria Saville – the defending champion was ruthless, imposing power and pace untenable to her opponent, her “best friend” on the circuit, she confided before the meeting.
“She’s my best friend, so that was the hardest part,” Swiatek added on-court after her victory.
After a 6-0 first set, the Polish went back on the same pace in the second set, chaining two shutouts to lead 3-0.
When she scored her first game (3-1), Kaja Juvan, 22, all smiles, even raised her fist and then both arms in victory, to the ovations of the public at Louis-Armstrong Court.
In the next round, Swiatek will face Latvian Jelena Ostapenko (21st player in the world) or American Bernarda Pera (73rd). In the event of victory, she could face in the quarters the American Coco Gauff (6th), title contender after her dazzling summer marked by her victories at the Washington and Cincinnati tournaments, where she beat Swiatek in the semis.
