Swiatek Advances to Italian Open Semi-Finals
World No 3 Iga Swiatek demonstrated a commanding performance as she defeated Jessica Pegula 6-1, 6-2 on Wednesday, advancing to the semi-finals of the Italian Open.
The three-time Rome champion required just over an hour on centre court to overcome the fifth seed Pegula, showcasing a level of dominance on clay reminiscent of her last French Open triumph two years ago.
Swiatek is now set to face either second seed Elena Rybakina or Elina Svitolina in the semi-finals. The winner of that match will potentially meet reigning Roland Garros champion Coco Gauff in Saturday’s final.
Despite her current success, Swiatek has not secured a clay-court title since her most recent French Open victory.
Raducanu to Return at Strasbourg
Meanwhile, British No 1 Emma Raducanu is preparing to make her comeback from illness at the Internationaux de Strasbourg next week.
Raducanu has been sidelined since March’s Indian Wells tournament due to a post-viral illness, which began in February and forced her to withdraw from four consecutive events. Although she travelled to Rome and practiced ahead of the Italian Open, she ultimately decided she was not ready to compete.
By accepting a wild card entry into Strasbourg, the 23-year-old aims to gain valuable clay-court match experience ahead of the French Open, scheduled to start on May 24.
