Iga Swiatek overcame a difficult opening set earlier than racing to a 7-6(3) 6-1 victory over Czech tenth seed Marketa Vondrousova on Friday in a conflict between the final two Grand Slam winners to achieve the Cincinnati Open semi-finals.
World primary Swiatek, who raised her sport on the key moments, broke the Wimbledon champion 5 occasions and saved 4 of six break factors to seal victory in 91 minutes.
“It wasn’t easy to adjust to her spin because she’s a lefty,” French Open champion Swiatek mentioned throughout her on-court interview.
“She really used that and her experience for sure but I really wanted to be determined and fight for every ball, and in the end this is what worked.”
Vondrousova loved a perfect begin and dropped solely three factors on serve by the point she constructed a 5-3 lead and served for the set twice. But she was denied each occasions by Swiatek earlier than the Pole ran away with the tiebreaker.
Swiatek discovered the next gear within the second the place she feasted on Vondrousova’s serve and broke thrice, together with within the ultimate sport the place she sealed the win with a forehand down the road that the Czech was unable to chase down.
Swiatek, who’s utilizing this occasion as a tune-up forward of her title protection on the Aug. 28-Sept. 10 U.S. Open, credited the changes she made in between units for her capacity to make fast work of Vondrousova within the second body.
“I tried to learn from that first set, and in the second set I knew exactly what to do and I think that’s why it was such a good performance,” Swiatek mentioned.
Swiatek, who has occupied prime spot on the planet rankings since April 2022, will subsequent face both American seventh seed Coco Gauff or Italian qualifier Jasmine Paolini.
Unseeded Czech Karolina Muchova wanted simply 11 minutes on court docket to achieve the semis as compatriot Marie Bouzkova retired from their match with proper leg pressure whereas trailing 3-0.
Muchova now awaits the winner of the quarter-final conflict between Tunisian fifth seed Ons Jabeur and Belarusian second seed Aryna Sabalenka.