Iga Swiatek swept past Liudmila Samsonova 6-4 6-1 at Arthur Ashe Stadium to reach the quarter-finals at the U.S. Open on Monday as the top seed continued her flawless run through the Flushing Meadows draw.
Swiatek, the only former women's champion still standing, has not dropped a set in New York and in her 100th Grand Slam match the 23-year-old lost only four points on her first serve.
Samsonova, the 16th seed, was gunning for her first Grand Slam quarter-final but never got into the match and failed to set up a single break point against the Pole.
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Swiatek next faces American Jessica Pegula, whom she beat in the quarter-finals two years ago.
Samsonova defended two break points in the fourth game but could not hold off the clinical Swiatek, who applied pressure from the baseline to break the Russian to love in the 10th game.
Down 0-3 in the second set, Samsonova fought off three break points in the fourth game but then handed Swiatek the break with a double fault.
Swiatek closed it out on the second match point with some nimble play at the net before Samsonova sent a backhand out.
The French Open champion, who had skipped the Toronto tune-up event, said she felt she was finally hitting her stride in New York.
Sinner battles past Paul
Top seed Jannik Sinner survived a hard-fought battle against Tommy Paul to beat the American 7-6(3) 7-6(5) 6-1 and reach the quarter-finals on same day.
Sinner, who fired down 10 aces at a rocking Arthur Ashe Stadium, became the only man to reach the last eight at all four majors this year.
"I served very well in the beginning of the match and yes there are some ups and downs, obviously," said Sinner.
"Finding my rhythm at the end of the match hopefully helps for the next match."
Paul, backed by a boisterous home crowd, produced moments of brilliance as he defended 10 of the 14 break points he faced, but his hopes of ending a 21-year U.S. drought in the men's Grand Slams were snuffed out by Sinner's precision play.
"We have two Americans (Frances Tiafoe and Taylor Fritz) still left in the tournament, but, you know, it's never really felt this open, in a way," said Paul. "So I believe that one of us can do it at some point."
Paul raised American hopes when he won 11 consecutive points to go up 4-1 in the first set but Sinner retaliated quickly, converting a break point chance in the sixth game and again in the eighth with a wicked forehand winner down the line.
Sinner had a chance to close out the set in the 10th game but could not convert a break point and the crowd broke into chants of "USA!" during a tense tiebreak, where the Italian forced Paul into a backhand error on set point.
