Iga Swiatek qualifies for Miami Open semi-finals
Iga Swiatek beat Petra Kvitova 6-3, 6-3 within the Miami Open quarter-finals
- AFP
- Last Updated: March 31, 2022, 09:34 IST
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Iga Swiatek’s dream season continued as she defeated Petra Kvitova 6-3, 6-3 within the Miami Open quarter-finals to shut in on a 3rd successive WTA 1000 crown.
The new world primary received the title in Doha after which Indian Wells and now has a good chance of turning into solely the fourth lady in historical past to win the Sunshine Double — triumphing in California and Florida in the identical 12 months — following Steffi Graf (1994 and 1996), Kim Clijsters (2005) and Victoria Azarenka (2016).
Swiatek, who has now received 15 successive WTA tour matches, is the shape participant within the ladies’s sport in the intervening time and American Jessica Pegula, who reached the final 4 earlier within the day after fifth seed Paula Badosa was compelled to retire due to sickness halfway via the primary set, may have her work reduce out trying to cease the Polish 20-year-old once they meet on Thursday for a spot within the ultimate.
Czech star Kvitova was on the backfoot as soon as she was damaged within the first set as Swiatek’s wonderful hitting, particularly from the again of the courtroom, and her serve finally proved the distinction.
The two-time Wimbledon champion fought exhausting, however Swiatek was in a position to keep her aggressive, attacking sport and when she broke for 3-2 within the second set it was all the time going to be an uphill battle for the 32-year-old now ranked thirty second on the earth.
“I want to use the confidence I have had since the start of the year and I am on a roll,” Swiatek stated after successful in a single hour and 14 minutes at Hard Rock Stadium.
“I am just so happy I can compete against legends like Petra. I knew I had to keep up with the pace as she plays fast and I think my first serve was the key.”
Pegula goes into her second WTA 1000 semi-final effectively rested after her spherical of 16 match towards Anhelina Kalinina solely lasted a set earlier than the Ukrainian retired.
The similar destiny then befell Spain’s fifth-seeded Badosa within the quarters on Wednesday, as she conceded the competition with the rating at 4-1 to the American.
Pegula, whose dad and mom personal the Buffalo Bills NFL franchise, has spent simply three hours and 22 minutes on courtroom in her 4 matches up to now and stated: “I’ve definitely played really, really clean tennis the last two sets.
“I think that’s helped, I don’t want to say get a retirement, but sometimes you just never know how someone is going to react when they get out there, even though you know they are not feeling well.
“I think from Paula’s last match I could tell that she probably wasn’t going to be 100% by today, but again, I have no idea what happened or how she was feeling or if she recovered or if it was quick.
“It’s just hard to know in those situations. It can be kind of awkward. I am just trying to focus on myself and play the best tennis I could, and I’ve been able to do that.”
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