Back with a bang: Iga Swiatek begins Korea Open with a straight-sets win over Sorana Cirstea

Iga Swiatek returned to the courts this Thursday at the Korea Open with a comfortable 6-3, 6-2 victory over Romania's Sorana Cirstea, advancing to the quarterfinals. The world No. 2 made a classy return to the courts in her first tournament since the US Open, where she was eliminated in the quarterfinals.

The 6-time Grand Slam champion is looking to bounce back from that defeat as the clear favorite to win the first WTA 500 of the Asian swing. The top seed has 22 wins in her last 25 appearances and has rejoined this part of the season after skipping the Asian tournaments in 2024.

As we've come to expect, Swiatek immediately went after her opponent with her fast-paced game, securing two consecutive breaks to go up 3-0 in just minutes. Cirstea—currently ranked No. 66—managed to get one of the breaks back in the fourth game, but her serve was inconsistent, and Swiatek pulled ahead to 5-1 with her third consecutive break. The Pole nearly closed out the set right there after Cirstea had to save three set points on her serve in the seventh game.

The Romanian showed resilience, holding her serve for the first time, which gave her the confidence to break Swiatek for the second time and close the gap. However, Swiatek didn't falter and ultimately won the set 6-3 after getting her fourth break of the match.

In the second set, Swiatek improved her serve, with her numbers rising from 52% to 66% of points won on serve. Despite a first-serve-in percentage below 50% for the match, an early break and a couple of solid service games gave Swiatek a comfortable 3-0 lead. Cirstea improved on her serve and seemed to be keeping pace with Swiatek.

The Romanian had a couple of wasted break opportunities throughout the set and never managed to recover. Swiatek secured a final break to close out the 6-3, 6-2 victory and advance to the quarterfinals. Despite the win, the Pole's serve did not leave a strong impression, with only a 48% first-serve-in for the match and two breaks conceded.

The Pole arrived as the clear favorite for the Seoul WTA 500, where she is the only top-10 player in the draw. It was initially expected that Amanda Anisimova (No. 4) would attend, but she withdrew from the event due to an ankle injury suffered during the US Open final against Aryna Sabalenka. As a result, she will return at the China Open in a week. Swiatek is now the sole top-10 player, with Ekaterina Alexandrova (No. 11) and Clara Tauson (No. 12) being the main threats. However, the 6-time major champion commented in a press conference that the possibilities are open for all contenders.

"I don't think it makes sense to even think about the final already, and any girl can win this tournament," she said. "Great players come here. So I'm just going to really take it step by step. Just think about my first match. I only came here yesterday, so I really need to use my time to just focus on here and now, and the practices and the first match. We'll see how I'm going to feel, how I'm going to play, and there are many players who can play in the final. So we'll see."

The world No. 2 will return to the court this Friday for the quarterfinals, where she will face a high-profile opponent, as she awaits the winner between 2021 US Open champion Emma Raducanu or two-time major champion Barbora Krejcikova, who will face off in the afternoon match.