Iga Swiatek shook off early nerves to beat American Jessica Pegula 6-3 6-2 and book her spot in the French Open semi-final.
The world no.1 also took her win streak to a staggering 33 matches, the longest such unbeaten run in the women’s tour since Serena Williams bagged 34 victories in succession in 2013.
The Polish player, gunning for a second title in three years at Roland Garros, showed a trace of nerves in the initial games before marching past the 11th seed.
Two days after dropping her first set of the tournament, Swiatek got off to a fast start, stealing Pegula’s serve with a crosscourt forehand winner. But unforced errors immediately crept up in her game and she was immediately broken back.
The Pole, however, went up a break again to lead 4-3 before holding and setting up set points in the ninth game before Pegula’s routine forehand went wide on the second to give her the first set.
Swiatek then broke for a 3-1 lead in the second set before quickly reaching three match points, wrapping it up on Pegula’s serve with a booming backhand winner down the line.
The 2020 champion is bidding to become the fourth player since 2000 to lift the Suzanne Lenglen Cup multiple times after Justine Henin, Serena Williams, and Maria Sharapova.
Daria Kasatkina will try and prevent Iga Swiatek from doing that in the French Open semi-final.
Kasatkina continued her sublime form to beat fellow Russian Veronika Kudermetova 6-4 7-6(5) to reach her first-ever Grand Slam semi-final.
