World No.1 Iga Swiatek defeated No.28 Zheng Qinwen in her opening match at San Diego Open with 6-4, 4-6, 6-1 victory.
Playing on a slick hard-court surface, both players made frequent use of drop shots, which caused Swiatek to take a fall in the second set as she attempted to return a successful Qinwen drop shot.
The first and second sets were tied at 4-all. In the opening set, Swiatek broke Qinwen’s serve for a 5-4 lead before holding serve.
With the score tied 4-all in the second set, it was Qinwen who broke Swiatek for a 5-4 advantage. Qinwen fended off five break points before claiming the ninth game. Qinwen then broke Swiatek to tie the match at a set apiece.
As tightly contested as the opening sets were, Swiatek quickly grabbed a 5-1 led in the third. She captured the decisive final game, winning four straight points at love.
With the win, the Polish star will face No.8 Coco Gauff in the quarterfinals on Friday.