World No. 2 Iga Swiatek made a strong start to her China Open campaign on Saturday, dispatching home favourite Yuan Yue in straight sets, 6-0, 6-3, to book her place in the third round.
Swiatek, fresh off a title run in Seoul, dominated the opening set without dropping a game, showcasing her trademark court control and baseline consistency. Yuan, currently ranked 110th, struggled to find any rhythm early on, firing long on key points as Swiatek raced through the first set in just 24 minutes.
The Chinese wildcard responded with a more competitive showing in the second set, backed by a vocal home crowd, but Swiatek maintained composure throughout. The four-time Grand Slam champion closed out the match after 71 minutes when Yuan netted a backhand return.
Speaking after the match, Swiatek praised her opponent’s resilience:
“She was reading the court pretty well. It wasn’t easy and every game was tight.”
Swiatek will next face Colombia’s Camila Osorio, ranked No. 83 in the world, who advanced with a 6-1, 4-6, 6-4 win over Anna Kalinskaya of Russia.
The Polish star returns to Beijing as the top seed in the absence of world No. 1 Aryna Sabalenka, who withdrew due to injury. Swiatek previously won the tournament in 2023 but did not participate last year, later revealing she had served a brief doping suspension.
Looking ahead, Swiatek remains focused despite her recent form:
“I have great memories here, but every tournament is a different story. You have to start from the beginning and grind.”
Elsewhere in the women’s draw, No. 5 seed Mirra Andreeva eased past Zhu Lin 6-2, 6-2, while American Emma Navarro advanced with a 6-3, 7-6(0) victory over Elena-Gabriela Ruse.
The ATP 500 event is also underway in Beijing, with Jannik Sinner leading the men’s draw.
