Emotional Iga Swiatek battles past Sorana Cirstea to reach first Australian Open quarter-final

Iga Swiatek admitted to struggling with nerves after she reached the quarter-finals of the Australian Open for the first time, battling past Sorana Cirstea in three sets. The 2020 Roland Garros champion came from a set down to beat the Romanian 5-7, 6-3, 6-3 in a match which had several swings of momentum.

Ad/> «I think it started with being a little bit off rhythm, for sure after the first set I was shaking,» Swiatek said in her on court interview. /> Australian Open'One of the best' — Cirstea nails stunning winner against Swiatek36 MINUTES AGO /> «For me, a week without crying is not a week, I cry when I lose, I cry when I win — you’ll have to get used to that.» Swiatek went into the tie yet to concede a set, but she immediately went a break of serve down in the opening game, after Cirstea converted a third break point to take an early lead.

The seventh seed responded well and after wasting opportunities to break back in the fourth game, she eventually levelled in the eighth, breaking to 15. /> But Swiatek dropped her level again and Cirstea took full advantage, breaking for a 6-5 lead before serving out to take the opening set.

Swiatek looked like the stronger player immediately from the start of the second set, though, breaking in the second game before she was pegged back to 2-2 by Cirstea. But the former French Open champion hit back in a sixth game which lasted almost eight minutes, finally converting her third break opportunity to take command of the set — before she took it 6-3 to take the match to a decider.