Swiatek tops Gauff in straight sets in San Diego

SAN DIEGO — Prime-ranked Iga Swiatek cruised to a 6-0, 6-3 victory over sixth-seeded Coco Gauff on Friday evening within the quarterfinal spherical on the WTA 500 San Diego Open.

Gauff had a double fault on the opening level and the end result was seemingly by no means doubtful as Swiatek took management together with her relentless, sharp-angled offensive assault in a rematch of this yr’s French Open singles closing, received by the 21-year-old from Poland, 6-1, 6-3.

“I simply stored my focus and I am completely satisfied that I stayed composed tonight,” Swiatek stated. “It was a type of matches the place I felt in management from the primary level.”

Performed in gentle, overcast circumstances, the 65-minute contest was Swiatek’s fourth straight win with out a loss over the 18-year-old Gauff.

The sleek-hitting, deceptively highly effective Swiatek, winner of this yr’s US Open and French Open, subsequent faces fourth-seeded Jessica Pegula in considered one of Saturday’s semifinals. Earlier Thursday, Pegula, a 27-year-old from Buffalo, beat unseeded Madison Keys, 6-4, 7-5 in an all-American matchup. Within the different semifinal, Donna Vekic of Croatia, who beat third-seeded Aryna Sabalenka of Belarus 6-4, 6-7 (5), 6-1, takes on American Danielle Collins, who eradicated second-seeded Paula Badosa of Spain 7-6 (5), 6-4.

“We all the time play nice, bodily matches, so I am trying ahead to enjoying Jessica,” stated Swiatek, who admitted to lingering jet lag since flying from the Czech Republic to San Diego final Sunday.

“I am ready to see the solar right here, as a result of I am nonetheless not very tan,” stated Swiatek, who misplaced a three-set closing to Barbora Krejcikova in Ostrava final weekend.

Towards Gauff, the group favourite regardless of a small group of followers wearing Polish regalia, Swiatek captured the primary eight video games, breaking Gauff 4 straight occasions earlier than the American received her first recreation, holding serve at 2-1.

Swiatek’s dominance included practically error-free groundstrokes that compelled Gauff into a complete of 26 unforced errors.

“I’ve misplaced to her so many occasions, and I simply did not have it at present,” Gauff stated. “Every time I play her, I be taught lots, like that I overplayed on sure photographs which precipitated me to make extra errors.”

The $757,900 WTA 500 San Diego Open continues via Sunday at San Diego’s Barnes Tennis Middle.