Swiatek's grasscourt stint starts with win

Iga Swiatek kicked off her preparations for Wimbledon with a straight-sets victory over Victoria Azarenka in Bad Homburg on Tuesday.

- 

The five-time Grand Slam champion eased to a 6-4, 6-4 success over fellow former world No.1 to reach the quarter-finals.

Swiatek, whose three-year French Open reign was ended in the semi-finals by Aryna Sabalenka earlier this month, will next face either Maria Sakkari or Ekaterina Alexandrova.

The 24-year-old has never reached the final of a grasscourt tournament before.

Her best performance at Wimbledon, which starts on Monday, was a run to the 2023 quarter-finals.

Another former world No.1 was in action later in the day as Japan’s Naomi Osaka fell in straight sets to fifth seed Emma Navarro.

Four-time Grand Slam winner Osaka, now ranked 56th in the world after returning from maternity leave last year, went down 6-4, 6-4 against her American opponent.

Navarro advanced to play her compatriot, the top seed Jessica Pegula in the quarter-finals.