World No. 1 Iga Swiatek wasted no time asserting her hard-court dominance on Wednesday, dispatching China’s Guo Hanyu 6-3, 6-1 to reach the third round of the National Bank Open and extend her winning streak to 24 consecutive games.
Playing her first match since a ruthless 6-0, 6-0 demolition of Amanda Anisimova in the Wimbledon final last month, Swiatek looked right at home on the quicker surface of Toronto’s Sobeys Stadium.
She stormed out to a 4-0 lead in the opening set, never allowing Guo – a qualifier ranked No. 128 – to find any rhythm in a match that lasted just 68 minutes.
“I think I played a really solid match today,” Swiatek said. “Coming back to hard courts after a break is always tricky, but I stayed focused and adjusted quickly.”
It was a textbook performance from the Polish star, whose aggressive baseline play and shot placement left Guo chasing shadows.
With six Grand Slam titles already under her belt, including her most recent triumph at Wimbledon, Swiatek’s seamless surface switch reaffirms her status as the favorite heading into the U.S. Open later this month.
Up next for the top seed is a third-round clash against either Russia’s Anastasia Pavlyuchenkova or Germany’s Eva Lys, who were set to face off late Wednesday.
While Swiatek impressed, she wasn’t the only star lighting up Toronto.
Jessica Pegula, the two-time defending champion and fifth seed, continued her title defense with a composed 7-5, 6-4 win over Greece’s Maria Sakkari.
The Buffalo native recovered from a slow start, using her trademark consistency to wear down the world No. 9 and keep her three-peat hopes alive.
Madison Keys, seeded sixth, looked sharp and decisive in her 6-2, 6-1 rout of Germany’s Laura Siegemund. Keys, a former US Open finalist, dominated from the baseline and converted four of five break points in a match that underlined her threat in the draw.
Naomi Osaka delivered the day’s biggest comeback, overcoming a set and a break down to defeat Liudmila Samsonova 4-6, 7-6 (6), 6-3. The four-time major champion, still finding her top form after returning from maternity leave last year, showed flashes of her prime in a gutsy performance that electrified the crowd.
The National Bank Open, a crucial WTA 1000 event in the lead-up to the US Open, alternates annually between Toronto and Montreal. This year’s field is loaded with talent, and Swiatek’s form suggests she’s poised to claim one of the few major titles still missing from her resume.
With a 48-5 record and titles at Wimbledon and Indian Wells already this season, the 24-year-old looks nearly untouchable.
But with Pegula chasing history – aiming to become the first woman since Martina Hingis to win three straight in Canada – and former finalists like Keys and Osaka surging, the road to the title won’t be without challenge.
