Maja Chwalinska is into the quarter-finals in Wuhan after a 6-4 6-1 victory over Iva Jovic.
It was a stunning win for the Roland Garros finalist who dismantled the tenth seed in straight sets.
After a tough opening set Chwalinska stormed through the second set to advance into the last eight in China.
A delighted Chwalinska praised her performance in what was a tough test against the talented 18 year-old, “I think it was quite a solid match from my side,” Chwalinska told the WTA website.
“Iva is an amazing player. I knew that I needed to play my best game to get a win today. I think we had many very challenging rallies and it was a very physical match, I think, even though the score maybe doesn’t show it, but it was definitely a very hard match. Yeah, very happy about the performance.”
It’s been a great season for Chwalinska who started the year outside the world’s top 150 but will end 2026 inside the world’s top 20.
Reflecting on the season Chwalinska acknowledged it has been a great season as she described it as ‘unforgettable,’ “It has been a great year for me for sure,” the Pole explained to the WTA website.
“Very unforgettable year. Last year I was in a different position for sure. I was probably preparing for South American clay courts tournaments at the end of the year and now here I am, so very happy, very grateful for that.
“Actually, I talked with my physio today, who is also the physio of our Billie Jean King Cup team. And we talked, I think, in April when we had a tie in Poland. I was maybe 120 [in the rankings]. You know, I’m just not feeling like I fulfilled my potential and I’m getting old. And he’s here with me now, and I’m probably going to be top 20.
“So, it’s definitely a moment to appreciate for sure.”
Chwalinska will now face Maria Sakkari in the quarter-finals of Wuhan while she could face good friend Iga Swiatek in the semi-finals.
