US Open 2024: Dominant Iga Swiatek Sweeps Aside Ena Shibahara

Swiatek, who won the title in New York in 2022, made just six unforced errors as she triumphed 6-0 6-1 against her Japanese opponent. 

A dominant opening service game set the tone for the encounter, with the world number one racing into a 4-0 lead in double quick time before closing out the first set. 

Shibahara, however, would get her first and only game on the board early in the second, but had to do so by saving three break points to hold her serve. 

From then on, Swiatek took control, dropping just four points in the final three games to comfortably progress to the next round without breaking a sweat.

Swiatek will face the winner of Elisabetta Cocciaretto and Anastasia Pavlyuchenkova's encounter for a place in the quarter-finals of the competition on Saturday.

Data Debrief: Super Swiatek rolls on

Swiatek is the fifth player in the Open Era to reach the round of 32 in 19 consecutive women’s singles grand slam tournaments, after Martina Navratilova, Steffi Graf, Arantxa Sanchez Vicario and Conchita Martinez.

The Pole is also the youngest player to win 20 of her first 22 second round appearances in women’s singles grand slam since Victoria Azarenka in 2012, who won 21 of her first 22 second round appearances.