Swiatek powers past Garcia, remains undefeated at 2022 WTA Finals

World No.1 Iga Swiatek kept her foot on the gas on Thursday evening at the WTA Finals, powering past Caroline Garcia to secure her spot in the knockout stage.

The Polish star looked confident in her 6-3 6-2 victory, employing her trademark style of offense to bulldoze through her opponent. Despite both ladies exchanging breaks in the opening set, it was Swiatek who regained her focus to outplay the Frenchwoman and obtain a second break, clinching the first set in a display of technical expertise.

A quick break saw Swiatek establish an early lead in the second, but Garcia fought back and created three break point opportunities at 0-40. However, the top seed would win five straight points to close out the game, along with any hopes her opponent had of making a comeback. A second break put the match out of reach for Garcia, with Swiatek sealing her victory after an hour and 23 minutes.

With two wins in the Tracy Austin Group, Swiatek is still not officially through to the semifinals. If Daria Kasatkina defeats Coco Gauff later Thursday, Swiatek advances to the semifinals as group winner and Gauff is eliminated. Kasatkina and Garcia would play for the No.2 spot on Saturday. If Gauff wins in three sets, Swiatek advances to the semifinals.