Iga Swiatek 'really proud' after battling into first US Open quarterfinal

World No 1 recovers from a set and break down to defeat Jule Niemeier in the fourth round

Iga Swiatek celebrates after defeating Jule Niemeier in the fourth round of the US Open. EPA

Iga Swiatek said she was "really proud" to reach her first US Open quarterfinal but the world No 1 was forced to dig deep to beat Jule Niemeier in the fourth round on Monday.

French Open champion Swiatek recovered from a set and a break down to see off her 108th-ranked German opponent, 2-6, 6-4, 6-0.

Top seeded Swiatek will face Jessica Pegula for a place in the semi-finals after the American eighth seed cruised past two-time Wimbledon champion Petra Kvitova 6-3, 6-2.

In a mistake-riddled clash on Louis Armstrong Court, there were a total of 15 double faults, 12 breaks of serve and 76 unforced errors.

"It's really satisfying. This is my first quarter-final in New York so I am really proud of it," said Swiatek, who becomes the first Polish woman to reach the last eight in New York.

Wimbledon quarter-finalist Niemeier hadn't won a hardcourt match in her career before coming to New York, but she went into Monday's match not having dropped a set and was fired up to repeat her Wimbledon journey where she had also beaten world No 2 Anett Kontaveit.

The 23-year-old from Dortmund swept through the opener with breaks in the first and seventh games. She then held her nerve in an eight-minute second game of the second set, saving two break points.

Niemeier sensed a shock victory when she broke for 2-1 but Swiatek eventually prevailed, taking a set which featured seven breaks of serve in 10 games.

In the decider, the Pole raced to a 4-0 lead with the powerful Niemeier only winning five points.

Moments later Swiatek completed victory with her 19th 'bagel' set of the season to wrap up a place in a third Grand Slam quarter-final of 2022.

Swiatek said her success in 2022 has been helped by her rigid loyalty to her walk-on play list which includes AC/DC, Led Zeppelin and Pearl Jam.

"I have been listening to it all year and I am pretty bored with it," she said. "But I am not going to change now."

Aryna Sabalenka is also through to the women's quarterfinals after the sixth-seeded Belarusian fought back to beat American Danielle Collins 3-6, 6-3, 6-2. She will face Karolina Pliskova for a place in the semi-finals after the Czech came through a battle of former world No 1s with Victoria Azarenka 7-5, 6-7, 6-2.