Sinner Battles Past Atmane as Swiatek Begins Title Push at China Open

Jannik Sinner overcame a spirited challenge from French qualifier Terence Atmane to secure his place in the China Open quarter-finals on Saturday, while Iga Swiatek began her campaign in Beijing with a commanding win.

The world number two from Italy sealed a 6-4, 7-5, 6-0 victory after a tense opening two sets, setting up a clash with Hungary’s Fabian Marozsan, ranked 57th in the world.

“It was a very tough match today,” said Sinner, a four-time Grand Slam champion. “I felt like he was serving great. I lost a little concentration in the second set but managed to recover and find my rhythm again.”

Atmane made his intentions clear from the outset, firing two aces in the opening game. The 68th-ranked Frenchman continued to pressure Sinner, sending down six more aces in the second set and breaking the Italian’s serve to level the match. But as Atmane began to struggle physically, Sinner capitalized, racing through the third set without conceding a game.

“It’s not how you want to win a match,” Sinner admitted, noting Atmane’s physical issues. “But I’m happy to be in the next round.”

In the women’s draw, Swiatek breezed through her second-round tie against local favorite Yuan Yue. The Polish star, ranked world number two, dispatched Yuan 6-0, 6-3 to advance to a meeting with Colombia’s Camila Osorio.

Swiatek set the tone early, breaking Yuan in the opening games and clinching the first set without dropping a game. Though the 110th-ranked wildcard fought back with greater resistance in the second, Swiatek kept control and closed out the match when Yuan’s return clipped the net.

“She was reading the court pretty well, so it wasn’t easy,” Swiatek said. “Every game was tight, but I’m glad to move forward.”

The six-time major champion enters Beijing as the top seed following Aryna Sabalenka’s withdrawal due to injury. Swiatek has fond memories of the tournament, having lifted the prestigious WTA 1000 trophy in 2023. She skipped last year’s edition citing personal reasons, later revealed to be linked to a one-month doping ban after testing positive for a prohibited substance.

“I have great memories here,” Swiatek reflected. “But every tournament is a new challenge, so you have to start fresh and grind.”

Elsewhere in the women’s draw, world number five Mirra Andreeva of Russia advanced with a 6-2, 6-2 win over China’s Zhu Lin, while American Jessica Pegula brushed aside Australia’s Ajla Tomljanovic 6-0, 6-3.