French Open champion Iga Swiatek warned she was “prepared for anybody” as she takes on former winner Karolina Pliskova in the Italian Open final on Sunday.
Ex-world number one Pliskova saw off Croatia’s Petra Martic 6-1, 3-6, 6-2 to return to the final of a tournament she won in 2019 and finished runner-up last year.
Ninth seed Pliskova is the only top 10 player remaining but faces a battle with 19-year-old Swiatek, who continued her Roland Garros warm-up with back-to-back wins on Saturday.
Swiatek first ousted fifth seed Elina Svitolina, a two-time Rome winner, 6-2, 7-5 in 1hr 36min in their quarter-final match which had been pushed back from Friday because of rain.
She then saw off 17-year-old American Coco Gauff 7-6 (7/3), 6-3 in the semi-finals in 1hr 45min.
“I knew it was going to be tough,” mentioned the Fifteenth-seed of her marathon day.
“I performed with no expectations. I used to be taking it step-by-step.
“Beating Elina exhibits that my recreation is right here, I’m prepared for anybody. It gave me actually a confidence enhance.
“If my recreation goes to be there tomorrow, I can do something.”
Swiatek is looking for just her third WTA title having followed her Roland Garros success with a win in Adelaide in January.
“She’s a champion of Roland Garros last year. I think it’s not going to be easy,” mentioned Pliskova, on the lookout for her seventeenth profession title.
The Czech feels comfy in the Italian capital and saved three match factors in Friday’s quarter-final win over Jelena Ostapenko.
“Somehow I really feel relaxed right here,” the 29-year-old said.
“I think the conditions, the balls, the courts, because I had the success in the past, I think that comes together with that feeling which I have on the court.
“Yesterday coming back from match point, I think you need that sometimes.”
Swiatek all the time had the higher hand towards Thirty fifth-ranked Gauff, who superior to the semi-final after world primary Ashleigh Barty retired with an arm damage on Friday.
“It’s all the time exhausting to play towards the younger famous person, particularly after I’m not used to that as a result of I used to be all the time the youngest one,” said the Polish player.
“Even though it was tiebreak in the first set, I was mentally leading that match.”
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