3 weeks ago
World number 1 Iga Swiatek breezed into a 2nd consecutive Madrid Open last pinch a comfortable triumph against Madison Keys.
A ascendant Swiatek needed conscionable 70 minutes to wrap up a 6-1 6-3 triumph against nan American 18th seed.
The Pole, who is bidding for a 3rd title of 2024, vanished runner-up to Aryna Sabalenka successful Madrid past year.
Belarusian 2nd seed Sabalenka will group up a repetition of nan 2023 last if she defeats Elena Rybakina later connected Thursday.
Swiatek, 22, controlled her lucifer against Keys from nan offset arsenic she raced to a 3-0 lead successful nan opening set, dropping conscionable 3 of nan first 17 points.
The four-time Grand Slam champion, who is simply a clay-court specialist, collapsed and consolidated to spell 3-1 up successful nan 2nd group earlier striking again connected Keys' service astatine 5-3 to scope her 3rd WTA 1,000 last this season.
Keys, a US Open finalist successful 2017, could not capitalise connected nan fewer chances she had, missing retired connected 3 break points and making 28 unforced errors to Swiatek's eight.
Russian 3rd seed Daniil Medvedev will play Jiri Lehecka successful nan only men's singles lucifer connected Thursday aft Italian apical seed Jannik Sinner withdrew from his quarter-final gathering pinch Felix Auger-Aliassime pinch a hep injury.
