Katarzyna Kawa Wins 6:4, 6:2 in 77 Minutes to Reach Huzhou Quarterfinals

Katarzyna Kawa moved into the quarterfinals in Huzhou after beating Alewtina Ibragimowa 6:4, 6:2 in 77 minutes. The 33-year-old Polish player turned a second-round match into a straight-sets win and added 27 ranking points, along with nearly 3.45 thousand dollars gross.

The result followed a sharper opening in China, where Kawa had already beaten Carol Zhao 6:2, 6:1 in the first round. She is ranked 163rd in the WTA standings and now has another match lined up against Warwara Panszyna on Friday.

Kawa in Huzhou

Against Ibragimowa, Kawa finished the job in 77 minutes and kept the scoreline tight enough to stay in control from the first set. She won the opening set 6:4 and closed out the match 6:2 in the second.

The opponent list also shows the shape of her path through the draw. Carol Zhao fell in the first round, and Ibragimowa was next to go, leaving Kawa one win away from the semifinals at the WTA 125 event in Huzhou.

Ranking points and prize money

The quarterfinal place brought more than a line in the draw. Kawa earned 27 ranking points and nearly 3.45 thousand dollars gross for reaching the last eight, a useful return for a player sitting at 163rd in the rankings.

That reward becomes more relevant with Friday's quarterfinal against Warwara Panszyna, who had been in qualifying and was ranked in the middle of the fifth hundred. Kawa chose Huzhou during the second week of WTA 1000 tournaments in Europe, and the route she has taken there has already delivered two wins and a place in the final eight.