Maja Chwalińska reaches Wuhan quarters with career-best win

Maja Chwalińska defeated world No. 11 Iva Jovic 6–4, 6–1 Thursday to reach the Wuhan Open quarterfinals with the highest-ranked win of her career.

The Polish left-hander broke in the ninth game of the opening set, then won the final five games of the second to finish the match in one hour and 49 minutes, according to the WTA’s official report.

Chwalińska finished with 17 winners and 15 unforced errors. Jovic hit 23 winners but made 31 unforced errors. The steadier performance carried Chwalińska through a match she described afterward as physically demanding despite the score.

The No. 16 seed, this year’s French Open runner-up, next faces Maria Sakkari. Sakkari beat wild card Mia Pohankova 6–1, 6–4 to advance from her own third-round match.

Their head-to-head record is level at one win apiece. Sakkari won their meeting in Rome qualifying last year; Chwalińska won a three-set match in the third round at Roland-Garros this season. Friday’s quarterfinal gives one of them a second win in the matchup.