World number 2 Iga Swiatek came back from a double break down in the first set and a a break down in the second set to beat Japanese qualifier Mai Hontama 6-4 7-5 in 2 hours and 2 minutes at the Toray Pan Pacific Open.
Hontama went up a 4-1 lead in the first set with two breaks of serve in the third and fifth games. Swiatek rallied by winning five games with three breaks.
Swiatek raced out to a 5-1 lead with three breaks, but she failed to serve out the match. The Polish player held off a late fightback from Hontama, who pulled both breaks back to draw level to 5-5 after saving two match points at 4-5. Swiatek earned a break in the 12th game on her fourth match point to close out the second set 7-5 as Hontama sent a backhand into the net.
Swiatek has reached her 13th quarter final of the season. She has only failed to reach this stage twice this season at the Australian Open and at the US Open.
Swiatek set up a quarter final match against Veronika Kudemertova, who beat Kayla Day 6-3 6-3 in one hour and 26 minutes to reach her ninth quarter final of the season.
Hontama reached the semifinal in Osaka and won three matches in Tokyo without dropping a set.
Hontama ended the match with 41 unforced errors to 21 winners.
Jessica Pegula cruised past Cristina Bucsa 6-1 6-2 in just 62 minutes in the second round winning her first match since the fourth round at the US Open last September.
Pegula beat Bucsa 6-2 6-4 in their only previous match at Wimbledon earlier this week.
Pegula saved both of the break points she faced, while she was serving at 4-0. She held on her serve and converted four of her seven break points. Bucsa hit 13 winners, but she made 29 unforced errors.
Pegula has clinched her 45th match win this season. The US player has the third match-win record on the WTA Tour behind Iga Swiatek (56) and Aryna Sabalenka (50).
Pegula will face either Daria Kasatkina or Despina Papamichail in the quarter finals.
“I thought I played very well. The courts play pretty fast here, so I was just trying to focus on my serve and my return. I thought I did that really well, and was just trying to focus on my serve and my return, and I thought I did that really well, and was able to play a very clean match today”, said Pegula.
