Tennis-Bencic survives Swiatek test to reach U.S. Open quarter-finals

Sep 6, 2021; Flushing, NY, USA; Belinda Bencic of Switzerland hits to Iga Swiatek of Poland on day eight of the 2021 U.S. Open tennis tournament at USTA Billie Jean King National Tennis Center. Danielle Parhizkaran-USA TODAY Sports

NEW YORK (Reuters) - Swiss Olympic champion Belinda Bencic survived a punishing first-set tiebreak to defeat seventh seed Iga Swiatek of Poland 7-6(12) 6-3 in the fourth round of the U.S Open on Monday.

The pair battled through the 23-minute tiebreak under hot and sunny conditions inside Louis Armstrong Stadium as Swiatek saw her 5-2 lead in the breaker evaporate when Bencic won four straight points, with each player making unforced errors.