New York, Sep 03, 2024, IANS

New York, Sep 3 (IANS) World No. 1 Iga Swiatek stormed into her second US Open and first since her title run in 2022 by defeating 16th-seed Liudmila Samsonova in the Round of 16. In her milestone 100th Grand Slam singles match, Swiatek celebrated with a 6-4, 6-1 win over Samsonova and brought her record at the majors to 83-17. She has not yet dropped a set through four rounds. The top seed’s win ensures she still has a chance to add to her WTA-leading season. Swiatek leads the WTA Tour with 57 match wins on the year after taking five titles, including her fourth Roland Garros crown, and an Olympic bronze medal. Swiatek, the 2022 US women's singles champ, is bidding for her sixth Grand Slam title. The Pole is one of three players in the top half of the draw to move through without losing a set, and she will face No.6 American Jessica Pegula on Wednesday. Pegula is through to the quarterfinals for the second time in three years, thanks to a 6-4, 6-2 win over Diana Shnaider. The sixth seed has now won 13 of her last 14 matches, her lone loss during that stretch coming against Aryna Sabalenka in the Cincinnati Open final. After a tough opening half of the year, former world No. 3 Pegula will attempt to reach the first major semifinal of her career when she faces Swiatek in the last eight. Her record stands at 0-7 in the quarterfinals. Swiatek was the one who knocked Pegula out in the 2022 US Open quarterfinals. In other major action, Beatriz Haddad Maia moved into her first US Open quarterfinal with a gritty 6-2, 3-6, 6-3 victory over former World No.1 Caroline Wozniacki in Louis Armstrong Stadium. She became the first Brazilian woman to reach the US Open women's singles quarterfinals since Maria Bueno in 1968. She’s also the first left-handed player ever from South America to earn a spot in the final eight at Flushing Meadows, according to tournament stats.