Swiatek sets up Paolini meeting in Wuhan quarter-finals

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Iga Swiatek booked her place in the quarter-finals of the Wuhan Open with a straight-sets win over Belinda Bencic on Thursday.

Swiatek will face Jasmine Paolini in the last eight on Friday, after securing a 7-6 (7-2) 6-4 victory in two hours and seven minutes.

The Pole started strongly, racing into a 3-0 lead, though she was just as quickly pegged back as Bencic won the following three games.

The pair traded breaks again later in the set before having to be separated by a tie-break, with Swiatek converting her first set point attempt.

Bencic broke Swiatek's serve early in the second set, but the world number two quickly returned the favour.

Another three-game winning streak quickly put Swiatek back in control before she served out the match to seal her place in the next round.

Data Debrief: Swiatek hits new milestone

Since 1990, only three players have achieved 125 career victories in fewer Tier 1/WTA-1000 matches than Swiatek (154) – Steffi Graf (139), Martina Hingis (148) and Serena Williams (152).

And since the format's introduction in 2009, only Williams (32) and Maria Sharapova (39) have managed 25 quarter-finals in fewer WTA-1000 main draws than Swiatek (41).

This win was Swiatek's 41st against WTA-1000 champions, with only Victoria Azarenka (41) matching that since the format's introduction in 2009.