Aus Open: Swiatek Triumphs Over Lys, Shelton Advances After Monfils Retires
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Synopsis
Poland's Iga Swiatek reached the Australian Open quarterfinals after defeating Eva Lys. Meanwhile, Ben Shelton advanced when Gael Monfils retired during their match, marking significant moments in this year's tournament.
Key Takeaways
- Iga Swiatek achieved her second quarterfinal at the Australian Open.
- She won against Eva Lys with a score of 6-0, 6-1.
- Swiatek has only lost 11 games across four matches.
- Ben Shelton advanced as Gael Monfils retired in the fourth round.
- Shelton aims to surpass his previous quarterfinal performance.
Melbourne, Jan 20 (NationPress) No. 2 seed Iga Swiatek from Poland made her way into the quarterfinals of the Australian Open for the second time, securing a victory against lucky loser Eva Lys from Germany on Monday.
The Polish player achieved a decisive 6-0, 6-1 victory over the German in just 59 minutes at Rod Laver Arena. Throughout the tournament, Swiatek has lost only 11 games in four matches, marking her fourth consecutive win in straight sets.
In her initial rounds, she defeated Katerina Siniakova with a score of 6-3, 6-4, followed by a 6-0, 6-2 triumph against Rebecca Sramkova, and her third-round victory over Emma Raducanu was an impressive 6-1, 6-0.
Swiatek has recorded an astonishing 72 sets won with a score of 6-0 since her debut on the WTA Tour, significantly outpacing the next best player, Elise Mertens, who has 32 in that period. Following her win over Lys, her count of bagels at the Australian Open has now reached five.
This five-time major champion is in the race to regain the World No.1 ranking from Aryna Sabalenka next Monday. For Sabalenka to maintain her lead, she must triumph over Anastasia Pavlyuchenkova in Tuesday's quarterfinal.
Should Swiatek secure a win in her quarterfinal match, Sabalenka will need to advance to the final. If they meet in the final, the victor will take home the World No.1 ranking.
In men's singles action, American prodigy Ben Shelton returned to the Australian Open quarterfinals after French veteran Gael Monfils was compelled to retire during their fourth-round match.
The 22-year-old Shelton, who made it to the last eight in Melbourne during his debut in 2023, was leading 7-6(3), 6-7(3), 7-6(2), 1-0 after two hours and 56 minutes when Monfils called an end to the match.
Monfils, who recently became the oldest man since 1977 to clinch an ATP Tour title in Auckland, was on an impressive eight-match winning streak. However, the physical demands of his matches began to affect him in the third set, significantly hampering his movement.
Meanwhile, Shelton aims to surpass his quarterfinal finish from 2023 when he faces Italy's Lorenzo Sonego for a chance to enter the semifinals. Sonego previously overcame American qualifier Learner Tien with a score of 6-3, 6-2, 3-6, 6-1 to reach the quarterfinals at a major for the first time.
