Maja Chwalińska has progressed to the quarter-final of the WTA 125 Antalya tournament. She is joined by Katarzyna Kawa as Polish representatives in the competition. They are in opposite sides of the draw, meaning they could only meet in the final.
Chwalińska’s Decisive Victory
Chwalińska, the tournament’s seventh seed, faced Despina Papamichail. Chwalińska is ranked 134th, while Papamichail is 159th. Chwalińska had previously won both of their prior encounters without dropping a set, and the same occurred again.
The match began with both players holding serve. Chwalińska faced a minor scare in the third game, recovering from 0-30 to hold. The key moment of the first set came after the change of ends when Papamichail failed to capitalise on a 30-15 lead. This resulted in a break for Chwalińska, who then began to pull away.
The end of the set saw a flurry of breaks, with the sixth to eighth games all going to the returner. At 5:1, Chwalińska failed to serve out the set but then broke her opponent to take the first set 6:2.
Second Set Domination
Chwalińska dominated the second set from start to finish. She began with a comfortable hold, followed by a break to love. She quickly raced to a 5-0 lead. The sixth game proved to be the last of the set and match. Despina Papamichail had two chances to get a point but could not convert either of them.
Chwalińska secured victory on her second match point, winning the second set 6:0. The match lasted only 61 minutes. This win ensures Chwalińska will face third seed Moyuka Uchijima in the quarter-final.
Uchijima eliminated Katarzyna Kawa in the first round a week ago. Chwalińska now has the opportunity to avenge her compatriot’s defeat.