NEW YORK, Sept. 8 (US): Iga Swiatek has been more efficient, her mind more relaxed, on red clay, as she has so far reached her two Grand Slam titles.
She certainly looks like she’s getting through this grueling US Open, though, the Associated Press reports.
#1 seed Swiatek moved into her first semifinal at Flushing Meadows with a 6-3, 7-6 (4) win over American Jessica Pegula Wednesday night in a match filled with 13 breaks from serve, 10 in the second set alone.
“I wasn’t expecting that at the start of the tournament,” said Swiatek, never seen past the fourth round in New York. “I try to keep my expectations low.”
Swiatek, the 21-year-old from Poland who won the French Open in 2020 and in June this year, twice failed to win, with a 5-4, 6-5 score. But she was better in the tiebreak, and when 8th seed Pegula missed a backhand to close out the contest, Swiatek ran toward her guest box, threw her white bat away and screamed.
This marks Swiatek’s eighth straight win against an opponent who is ranked in the top ten, all in straight sets.
“I am very proud of myself. My goal, basically, is to be consistent,” she said. “I remember when I was underdog and every match like that was surreal. Now it seems so routine.”
Pegula, the 28-year-old whose parents own the NFL’s Buffalo Bills and the NHL’s Buffalo Sabers, fell to 0-4 in a Grand Slam quarterfinal, including three losses at that point this season. All three of those came up against a player at the top of the rankings at the time: Ash Party at the Australian Open in January, then Swiatek at Roland Garros and now.
Swiatek will face sixth seed Aryna Sabalenka of Belarus in the semi-finals on Thursday. The other women’s semifinal is fifth seed Anas Jaber against 17th seed Caroline Garcia, who ousted 18-year-old American Coco Gauff on Tuesday.
Of the remaining four players in the category, only Swiatek has a major championship already. And only Sabalenka, who defeated two-time runner-up Karolina Pliskova 6-1, 7-6 (4) earlier on Wednesday, got this far in New York earlier; She lost in the semi-finals last year.
“I’m ready for it,” Sabalenka said. “I am ready for another battle.”
Sabalenka was knocked out of the semi-finals at Wimbledon last year by Pliskova. Sabalenka made sure from the start that this would be different, as he leads 4-0.
This year, Sabalenka could not participate in the All England Club, because all players from Russia and Belarus were banned due to the invasion of Ukraine. Sabalenka spent those two weeks in Miami, training and preparing to return to the Tour.
“It was a rough period, especially when I was working out in the gym and there was Wimbledon playing on TV,” Sabalenka said. “I always turned it off, because I couldn’t watch it.”