Maja Chwalinska made a composed start to her first Asian Swing in Singapore on Monday, beating home wild card Rebecca Sramkova 6-4, 6-2 to reach the second round of the Singapore Tennis Open.
The Polish fifth seed had arrived looking to restore momentum after a difficult stretch following her remarkable Roland Garros campaign, where she reached the final from qualifying. Between Paris and the US Open, Chwalinska won only one of six matches, though injury and draw circumstances complicated that record.
At Wimbledon, she hurt her ankle while holding match point against Mananchaya Sawangkaew in the opening round and was unable to complete the turnaround, eventually losing while clearly restricted. Her US Open ended in another first-round defeat, this time against Taylor Townsend, one of the most dangerous unseeded players in the field.
Chwalinska finds her touch in Singapore
Against Sramkova, Chwalinska established a 5-2 advantage in the first set before needing to work harder than expected to close it out. Once ahead, however, the 24-year-old took command in the second set with her varied court craft and sharp use of spin.
The defining exchange came at 3-2 in the second set. Sramkova sent a wide first serve toward the returner, and Chwalinska could only just reach it. Her improvised reply carried such heavy backspin that it cleared the net, landed on Sramkova’s side and spun back over to Chwalinska’s half before it could be played.
The point brought up two break opportunities, and Chwalinska converted to move further clear. She did not lose another game, completing a straight-sets victory that ended her recent run of early defeats.
“I’m delighted to come through,” Chwalinska said after the match. “Every victory matters, and opening matches are never easy.”
She will play either Oleksandra Oliynykova or Vivian Wolff for a place in the quarter-finals.
Sasnovich and Hibino advance
Elsewhere in the Singapore draw, Aliaksandra Sasnovich dismissed Daria Kasatkina 7-5, 6-0. Sasnovich will now meet top seed Mirra Andreeva, the reigning Roland Garros champion, in the second round.
Qualifier Nao Hibino also advanced after a 2-hour, 20-minute contest against former world No. 10 Kristina Mladenovic, winning 7-5, 4-6, 6-3.
The 31-year-old Japanese player recovered from a competitive first two sets against 33-year-old Mladenovic, who displayed the touch and variety that have helped her build a major doubles record. Mladenovic, a Wimbledon doubles champion this season for the seventh time at Grand Slam level, had two set points at 5-4 in the opening set but could not take them.
Hibino finished the match strongly to collect her first main-draw victory at WTA 500 level or higher since Roland Garros 2025.
