Iga Swiatek, the defending champion at the Mutua Madrid Open, hasn`t had an entirely smooth path. On her way to the quarterfinals, she uncharacteristically dropped sets to younger opponents Alexandra Eala and Diana Shnaider.
Wednesday presented another challenge. Despite Swiatek`s renowned prowess, particularly her ability to `bagel` opponents (win a set 6-0), it was the No. 5 seed Madison Keys who delivered the shocker, taking the first set 6-0 in just 24 minutes.
However, Swiatek is a four-time Roland Garros champion for good reason. The World No. 2 boasts an impressive win rate of nearly 90 percent on clay. Her strong instincts on this surface kicked in, guiding her to a comeback victory with a final score of 0-6, 6-3, 6-2.
Reflecting on the match, Swiatek commented in her on-court interview, “Honestly, it was one of the weirdest matches I’ve ever played. I didn’t feel like [the first set] was that bad. I felt the ball well — it just went super long.”
She added, “I tried to play a bit shorter, and with some mistakes by Maddy, the momentum changed in the end. I’m happy that I did it.”
Next Challenge: Coco Gauff
This hard-fought win propelled Swiatek into Thursday`s semifinals, where she is set to face No. 4 seed Coco Gauff. Gauff secured her spot by winning nine of the last ten games in her quarterfinal match against No. 7 seed Mirra Andreeva.
Swiatek holds an 11-3 lifetime advantage over Gauff, although Gauff has claimed victory in their last two encounters, including one this year at the United Cup. Significantly, Gauff is still seeking her first win against Swiatek on a clay court.
Key Statistics
A major factor in the match was unforced errors, with Keys tallying 35 compared to Swiatek`s 25.
Swiatek now extends her head-to-head lead against Keys to 5-2, maintaining a perfect 4-0 record against the American on clay.
This marks Swiatek’s 20th semifinal appearance in 36 WTA 1000 events. She joins an elite group, becoming only the third player after Serena Williams and Simona Halep to win her first six completed clay-court quarterfinals at this level.
Match Progression
Aiming for her third consecutive semifinal in Madrid, a feat previously achieved only by Maria Sharapova, Swiatek faced a rare setback when she lost the first set 6-0. This was the first time she had been shut out in a set in nearly four years, dating back to a match against Daria Kasatkina on grass in 2021. This remarkable streak covered 625 completed sets without losing a game. In that challenging first set, Swiatek committed 10 unforced errors, won only 29 percent of her service points, and secured a mere nine points in total.
The second set saw a dramatic shift. Swiatek appeared far more comfortable. Keys, who had made only two unforced errors in the first set, accumulated 15 in the second. Swiatek broke Keys` serve twice and sealed the set on her second set point when a Keys forehand return went into the net.
As the match moved into the third set, Swiatek`s superior movement became increasingly decisive. She secured the crucial first break at 2-2. After saving two break points, Swiatek won a brilliant point with a lunging backhand volley, which was followed by a Keys forehand error into the net.
Swiatek consistently targeted Keys` backhand, effectively opening up the court. Even when Keys had opportunities on her forehand, they often failed her. Ultimately, a backhand error led to Keys` second service break, allowing Swiatek to serve for the match at 5-2. The Pole converted her second match point when a Keys forehand sailed long.
Recalling the difficult first set, Swiatek noted, “[Keys] was serving great, and in every service game she got like two, three points by aces or some amazing serves. So when I didn`t get them back I had no chance to win a point. Then, when I didn’t hold my serve, obviously, yeah, it became complicated.”
She concluded, “But that`s why it`s good that we have second sets to just change something up. And maybe, yeah, I feel like for sure I started serving better and that helped me.`”
