Iga Swiatek swept Coco Gauff to advance to the Italian Open final. Thus, we’ll see an Iga Swiatek vs Aryna Sabalenka match at the Foro Italico. Swiatek will attempt to win her third tournament title. In addition, she could potentially match a Serena Williams record.
In a thrilling showdown, second-seeded Sabalenka emerged victorious over Danielle Collins with a score of 7-5, 6-2. Meanwhile, world number one Swiatek showcased her dominance with a 6-4, 6-3 triumph over US Open winner Gauff. This win extended her streak on clay courts to eleven matches and marked her tenth victory over the formidable third-seeded Gauff. According to pay per head bookie sources, the latter admitted Swiatek outplayed her.
With 26 wins and four breaks of her American opponent, Iga Swiatek is one win away from matching Williams’s 12-year-old record of winning the clay trophy in Madrid and Rome.
Iga Swiatek vs Aryna Sabalenka Final Match in Italy
According to pay per head reports, the final on Saturday will be a rematch of the Madrid Final that Swiatek won earlier this month. Sabalenka is playing her first Italian Open Final. Also, playing against Swiatek provides her with additional motivation.
Sabalenka added that their matches were always close and at a high level. She is hoping that they will bring their A-game on Saturday.
Italian Open Men’s Quarterfinals
Nicolas Jarry of Chile advanced to the men’s semifinals by cruising past Stefanos Tsitsipas, the 2022 runner-up. According to tennis news reports, the world number 24 advanced to a quarterfinal match against American Tommy Paul after overcoming a 3-6, 7-5, 6-4 deficit against the sixth-seeded Greek. Paul is 28 years old.
By converting a fourth match point, Jarry improved his head-to-record against Tsitsipas to 4-2; Tsitsipas had previously won the Monte Carlo Masters earlier in the European clay court season. Jarry saved eleven of thirteen break points. For the semifinals, Jarry will be joining fellow countryman Alejandro Tabilo.
No Chilean combination has advanced to the semifinals since Fernando Gonzalez and Nicolas Massu reached the quarterfinals of an ATP Tour tournament in Vina del Mar in 2006.
After beating Carlos Alcaraz in Buenos Aires and Casper Ruud in Miami this year, his victory on Thursday was his third against a top-ten player.
In Friday’s second semifinal, Tabilo—who defeated Novak Djokovic last weekend—will meet Alexander Zverev, a previous champion and third seed.
Tommy Paul in First-Ever Clay Court Semis
Paul earned his first-ever clay court semifinal berth with his 7-5, 3-6, 6-3 victory over seventh seed Hubert Hurkacz. For the first time since Reilly Opelka in 2021, the fourteenth-seeded Paul has advanced to the semifinals at the Foro Italico.
His quarterfinal match, which changed the tide of the game, lasted over two and a half hours and culminated in a 15-minute final game. Hurkacz threw a return long, and Paul eventually converted on match point four.
The match had thirteen service breaks, and Paul served 29 winners against 41 unforced mistakes to advance. In the second round, Hurkacz defeated Rafael Nadal. However, in the fourth round, Paul defeated reigning champion Daniil Medvedev. Hurkacz’s enormous serve was not fast enough to overcome Paul.
