Masters record awaits Swiatek: Poland’s 26th victory among the last four in Rome

Iga Swiatek has reached the semifinals of the WTA tournament in Rome. In a replica of her previous duel with Viktoria Azarenka, the number one in the world was too strong for Canadian Bianca Andreescu: 7-6 (2), 6-0.

Swiatek needed less than 80 minutes in the previous round to win the first set against Azarenka. Then the now steaming Pole won the second set at 35 minutes.

In the quarterfinals against Andreescu, Swiatek completed the first set in 70 minutes and then completed the second set in 35 minutes in the third game.

glorious list

This was the reigning champion’s 26th consecutive win in a WTA-1000 tournament, the equivalent of the men’s masters tournaments. He became the third player to remain undefeated on the podium for so long just below the Grand Slams, after Denmark’s Caroline Wozniacki and American Serena Williams.

Williams was unbeaten for 26 consecutive games in 2013. In fact, Wozniacki won 28 consecutive wins in 2010 and 2011. Swiatek has won the last four tournaments it has participated in – in Stuttgart, Miami, Indian Wells and Doha.

If Swiatek also wins the tournament in Rome, it will equal Wozniacki’s record. She then takes on Aryna Sabalenka, who finished third in the semifinal. The Belarusian tennis player defeated American Amanda Anisimova in three sets, 4-6, 6-3 and 6-2.

Jabeur in Kasatkina

The other game in the semifinals is Tunisian Ounce Jabeur (9) against Russian Daria Kasatkina, unseeded. Jabeur, who won last week in Madrid, defeated Greece’s Maria Sakkari (4) after a mixed start in three sets: 1-6, 7-5, 6-1.

Jabeurs’s good friend Kasatkina advanced to the semifinals after Swiss rival Jil Teichmann stopped: 6-4, 3-2.