Polish Iga Świświńtek, ranked eighth in the world, qualified for the third round of the US Open, the last of the four major tennis tournaments, with an easy victory over Argentine Nadia Podoroska 6-3, 6-2 on Thursday.
The 25-year-old Polish woman, who will be crowned champion in 2022, took advantage of the only break-point opportunity she had in the first set to take a 3-1 lead against a player who was among the top 40 players in the world before falling to 449th place in the world.
The two players have not faced each other since the semi-finals of the French Open in 2020, when the Polish woman won on her way to winning the first major title in her career.
Aside from a difficult period when the score was 5-3 and during which she had to save four break balls, Šwijontek had a calm end to the first set, and continued her advantage by breaking Podoroska at the beginning of the second set.
She strengthened her advantage with a new break to lead 4-1, before ending the match in an hour and 11 minutes, taking advantage of the first opportunity of the match.
The former world number one will play in the next round on Saturday with the winner of the match between the Czech Marie Bouzkova and the British Harriet Dart, in search of a ticket to qualify for the round of 16.
“I feel better here than at any Grand Slam tournament this year,” said Szjvojntek, winner of six Grand Slam titles, after the match. "I'm just trying to enjoy every day and improve day by day."
Newcomer Japanese substitute Ayase Ueda gave his team Lille a temporary lead by scoring the only winning goal against host Toulouse 1-0, at the opening of the fourth stage of the French Football League on Thursday.
Ueda, who came to France three days ago in a deal worth 15 million euros, and who had entered in the 57th minute instead of veteran Olivier Giroud (39 years old), scored the three-point goal in his first match with Lille after he headed a ball that was narrowly cleared by young goalkeeper Mathis Nifleur, who in turn entered in place of Guillaume Rest (73).
Ueda (28 years old) scored 25 goals with Feyenoord Rotterdam in 31 matches in the Dutch League last season, to be crowned top scorer. He also won the cup title in 2024.
Lille, which achieved its second victory in exchange for a draw, raised its score to 7 points in first place temporarily, pending the rest of the results of the stage, while Toulouse’s score froze at an orphan point in sixteenth place.
Lille, coached by Davide Ancelotti, son of the famous coach Carlo, prepared in the best possible way for its match against Spanish Real Betis on Tuesday in the unified group stage of the Champions League competition.
Lille sold the young Moroccan talent, Ayoub Bouadi, to Manchester City, England, for 100 million euros, and Belgian Mathias Fernandez-Pardew, for 60 million, to Newcastle, before the transfer market closed.
The four-time French champions started the league with a 2-0 win over Angers, before surrendering a two-goal lead at home to Paris Saint-Germain, the defending champion, to emerge with a 2-2 draw.
The Philippines' Alexandra Ayala defeated the Ukrainian Oleksandra Oleinikova 6-1, 6-4 to qualify for the third round of the US Open tennis tournament on Thursday, which maintained and enhanced the enthusiasm among her fans in New York.
The 21-year-old lost to Olenikova in Strasbourg earlier this year, but she found the right recipe this time, as it only took her just over an hour to settle the match.
In the next match, Eala will meet the winner of American Iva Jovic and British Francesca Jones.
“My patience and consistent focus - I think that was the key to winning the match today,” Ayala said.
After her victory in Washington last month, which marked a turning point in her career, Eala seemed ready to make a wonderful participation in Flushing Meadows, and won the first four games in the first set, which she completely controlled.
The two players exchanged breaks in a more competitive second set. Ayala broke her opponent's serve from the back line of the court in the seventh game before pressing hard and clinching the set with an ace to the joy of the crowd. Philippine flags filled the stands.
The first player from the Philippines to win a match in the WTA tournaments received warm encouragement from her compatriots at Louis Armstrong Stadium, and banners were raised urging her to continue the struggle.
“I think we all stand for something,” Ayala said. “I am proud of what I represent.”
