Tennis news - Ash Barty through to Madrid Open quarter-finals with tough win over Iga Swiatek

ByAlexander Netherton

Published 03/05/2021 at 19:55 GMT

World number one Ashleigh Barty made her way into the quarter-finals of the Mutua Madrid Open on Monday when she defeated Poland's Iga Swiatek 7-5 6-4. The Australian held her nerve against her Polish rival after going down 3-0 in the first set, before earning a match in the next round against Petra Kvitova.

Ashleigh Barty defeated Iga Swiatek 7-5 6-4 in the last 16 of the Mutua Madrid Open.

The win was the 14th consecutive victory on red clay, and she was pushed all the way by her younger Polish rival.

She was in for a scare when she went down 3-0 in the opening set, but thereafter did not drop a service game.

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Ultimately, Australian world number one Barty showed more resilience as she saved six out of the seven break points offered up to Swiatek, while she took all three of those she earned.

Serving up six aces to her opponent’s two also helped her push through her advantage on serve, and she is now through to the quarter-finals in Spain, where she will play the Czech Republic’s Petra Kvitova.

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