Iga Swiatek began her Wuhan Open campaign in commanding fashion on Wednesday, defeating compatriot Magdalena Frech 6-2, 6-1 in an all-Polish encounter. The six-time Grand Slam champion delivered a dominant performance despite a challenging opening set against the lucky loser.

The seventh-seeded Swiatek secured her 40th win of the season in one hour and 42 minutes, keeping her hopes alive of reaching the quarter-finals, where she could face top seed and three-time Wuhan champion Aryna Sabalenka.

“We know each other pretty well, so I just wanted to focus on being consistent and playing as good as possible,” Swiatek said of her opponent.

“I know she is running to every ball always and sometimes using the power of the opponent, so I wanted to not play too crazy but play solid and I’m happy that I did that,” added the former world number one, who is also fighting to secure qualification for the season-ending WTA Finals.

Despite the comfortable final score, the opening set proved far more competitive than expected. The players battled for more than an hour, with Swiatek recovering from a 0-2 deficit and saving seven of the eight break points she faced before finally claiming the set on her fourth opportunity.

Swiatek raised her level in the second set, using her powerful forehand to put Frech under sustained pressure. She won 10 consecutive games to establish a commanding 4-0 lead before briefly losing momentum and allowing her compatriot to break back.

However, the former world number one quickly regained control to seal her place in the round of 16. She will next face one of two lucky losers, Lanlana Tararudee or Ashlyn Krueger.

Elsewhere, British world number 170 Sonay Kartal produced an impressive upset, defeating ninth seed Belinda Bencic 6-0, 7-5 to advance to the next round.

Kartal, who missed six months of the season because of a spinal stress fracture, delivered a strong performance to eliminate the Swiss player and set up a meeting with either Jasmine Paolini or Nikola Bartunkova.