WTA Roland Garros: Simona Halep crashes Iga Swiatek, facing Anisimova next

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The 3rd seed and the defending Roland Garros champion Simona Halep is through to the fourth quarter-final in Paris, storming over the young Pole Iga Swiatek 6-1, 6-0 in blistering 45 minutes. It was all about the more experienced player who landed 75% of the first serve in, dropping ten points on serve and suffering only one break of serve.

As it turned out, that was the only game Iga managed to win today, taking only 11 out of 40 points on serve and getting broken seven times from ten chances offered to the Romanian to fade from the court in her first notable result on the big stage.

Hitting 17 winners and five unforced errors, Simona was the one who dictated the pace, overshadowing Swiatek's 13-19 ratio and marching towards the finish line and the place in the last eight. Starting the engines right from the start, Halep raced into a 5-0 lead, leaving Iga far behind on both serve and return, serving for the set in the sixth game.

Swiatek pulled one break back after a backhand error from Halep to get her name on the scoreboard before Simona took the opener with another break in the next game after 24 minutes. There was only one player on the court in set number two, with Halep taking all six games and sailing over the finish line with a forehand winner at 5-0, setting the clash against another young gun Amanda Anisimova.

Competing at only her fourth Major, the 17-year-old American toppled the Spanish qualifier Aliona Bolsova 6-3, 6-0 in 69 minutes to propel herself into the quarters without losing a set in the first four encounters! Firing from all cylinders, Amanda delivered 33 winners and 22 unforced errors, repelling all eight break points and stealing rival's serve four times to race over the top and stay on the title course.

The Spaniard gave her best in the opening set to match the power and precision of the youngster, staying in touch until game six when Amanda broke to forge a 4-2 advantage. Experiencing no problems on serve what so ever, Anisimova never had to play against a break point in five service games, taking the opening set 6-3 and building the momentum ahead of set number two.

Bolsova had the opportunity to at least prolong the encounter, earning those eight break points and failing to convert any or to hold serve, losing the set 6-0 to push Amanda into the last eight.