In a battle between two players who had the longest Hologic WTA Tour runs on clay a year ago, world No.1 Iga Swiatek defeated left-hander Bernarda Pera 6-3 6-2 to reach the fourth round of the Mutua Madrid Open.
In their only previous meeting, Swiatek saved three match points to win when they met in a qualifying match on grass in Birmingham in 2019, but it was before the young Pole rose to stardom.
In Sunday’s third-round match at the Madrid Open, the top-seeded Swiatek was the first player to lose a service game, but she promptly regained her composure and secured the opening set with a love hold. Swiatek’s dominance continued in the second set, where she started with a 2-0 lead and went on to earn a convincing victory.
Although Pera suffered a defeat, the late WTA bloomer will still cherish the Madrid Open as a significant milestone in her career — it was her first time being seeded at a WTA 1000 event. Moreover, the Croatian-born American looked stunning in the light green Lacoste Women’s Spring Performance Tank and Lacoste Women’s Spring Player’s On Court Skirt
