By Richard Pagliaro | Saturday, August 8, 2026
Photo credit: National Bank Open Facebook
One-set deficits were sink holes for Iga Swiatek throughout much of the season.
Down a set to red-hot Marta Kostyuk today, Swiatek created a springboard.
Moving faster and hitting harder, Swiatek roared back to life in a stirring comeback.
World No. 8 Swiatek fought off Kostyuk 3-6, 6-1, 6-2 avenging her Roland Garros fourth-round loss to the Ukrainian—and becoming the first woman to advance to the Toronto quarterfinals.
It was Swiatek’s first comeback win from a set down since last February when she fended off Daria Kasatkina 5-7, 6-1, 6-1 in Doha. Swiatek snapped a seven-match losing streak versus Top 20 opponents in three setters.
Continuing her hunt for her first final of the season, Swiatek will play either third-seeded Jessica Pegula or 15th-seeded Diana Shnaider for a semifinal spot.
It’s the sixth quarterfinal of the season for Swiatek, who snapped Kostyuk’s streak of seven straight wins in three-set matches.
After Kostyuk punished her serve like a pinata in the opening set, Swiatek struck her serve with more confidence, saving all eight break points she faced in the second and third sets.
Swiatek saved two break points serving out the match, closing a grueling 10-and-a-half minute final game on her sixth match point when Kostyuk netted a backhand return to end it in two hours, 11 minutes.
Four straight service breaks opened today’s rematch of the Roland Garros fourth round.
Serving for the set, Kostyuk dug out of a triple break point hole.
The former No. 1 earned a fourth break point, but netted a backhand return. Kostyuk swept the slider serve wide for set point.
A tame drop shot from Kostyuk sat up and Swiatek swooped in with plenty of time for the pass only to knock a backhand wide.
Remarkably, Kostyuk won 16 of 17 points played on Swiatek’s serve, including all six second serve points, in the 40 minute opener. Kostyuk hammered out three breaks at love in the set.
After a bathroom break, the 2025 Cincinnati champion returned to the court striking the ball with more conviction.
Hitting her second serve deeper in the box, Swiatek rallied from 15-30 down to hold and start the second set. Swiatek saved a couple of break points holding for 3-0.
Moving the ball corner to corner, Swiatek won eight of nine points extending her lead to 5-1 as the Ukrainian’s forehand was failing her at times.
The seventh-seeded Swiatek saved three break points in a draining five-deuce game before converting her fourth set point with the slider serve. Swiatek snatched the second set to force a decider after 82 minutes of play. The Pole won 22 of 34 service points and denied all five break points she faced in the second set.
Riding that momentum, Swiatek rattled out a couple of wild forehand errors scoring the love break to start the third set.
Though the red-hot Kostyuk has delivered a break-out season, including capturing the Madrid championship and reaching the Roland Garros semifinals, she couldn’t consistently keep the ball between the lines at crunch time today.
Swiatek won two of the first four games of the decider at love for 3-1. Swiatek saved another break point, extending her lead to 5-1.
Credit Kostyuk for going down fighting. The Ukrainian fought off five match points in the final game that was longest of the set.
On her fifth match point, Swiatek was in prime position at net but blocked a backhand volley long. Swiatek saved a second break point in the game bolting a backhand winner and finally closed on her sixth match point when Kostyuk couldn’t clear net with a backhand return.