World No 3 through to last eight after 6-2, 6-1 win
Sinner trounces Popyrin to set up Pellegrino meeting
Iga Swiatek produced a statement victory in a battle between two of the game’s best, mercilessly dismantling Naomi Osaka 6-2, 6-1 to return to the quarter-finals of the Italian Open.
This was the type of confidence-building performance Swiatek, the fourth seed, has been seeking for some time. After a tense opening four games, the four-time French Open champion put together a near flawless match, winning 10 of the last 11 games. Swiatek found a sweet balance between stifling Osaka with her heavy topspin and offensive weaponry while also drawing errors from her adversary with her tireless consistency.
In a match that pitted the six-time grand slam champion Swiatek versus the four-time major champion Osaka, this was by far the most eye-catching meeting of the tournament so far. Considering the level Osaka displayed in her dismantling of the 19th seed Diana Shnaider in the previous round and in their instant classic French Open second round match two years ago, which Swiatek won after facing match point, Osaka entered BNP Paribas Arena with reason to believe that she could at least make Swiatek uncomfortable.
