Swiatek survives Vekic scare to reach China Open last 16

Iga Swiatek fought back from the brink of defeat to beat Donna Vekic 4-6, 7-6(0), 6-2 in the third round of the China Open on Monday, according to Tennis365.

The six-time Grand Slam champion looked set for an early exit when she trailed 2-5 in the second set against the world No 40 in Beijing.

Swiatek then reeled off four consecutive games, breaking Vekic's serve twice as the Croatian attempted to close out the match, to force a tiebreak she went on to win 7-0.

The world No 9 carried that momentum into the decider, breaking Vekic three more times to complete the turnaround and move into the fourth round.

Speaking in her on-court interview afterwards, Swiatek said she had become "really p***ed" during the match, admitting she had made mistakes despite feeling her level was not far off what was needed.

She said she knew "it wasn't enough" and that she had to find a way to change the pattern of the contest, describing the start of the second set as particularly tough before she "figured it out".

In her press conference, Swiatek reflected further on the frustration of the first set, saying she felt the match was close but that Vekic had edged the more important points, and that she had known she needed to push harder when her own chances came.

She added that she did not see Vekic as a different player to a few years ago, noting that the Croatian still plays the same game style and remains dangerous when she is finding the ball well.

Swiatek explained that after losing the opening set she was initially unsure what to adjust, but that going for broke with more aggressive, down-the-line hitting in the second set changed the rhythm of the match in her favour.

The result sets up a fourth-round meeting with world No 13 Iva Jovic at the WTA 1000 event.

Swiatek is chasing a second China Open title, having won the tournament on her debut appearance in Beijing in 2023.