Three-time Italian Open champion Iga Swiatek produced one of her sharpest displays of the season as she outlasted American fifth seed Jessica Pegula 6-1, 6-2 to book a place in the semi-finals in Rome on Wednesday.
The Polish fourth seed needed just 67 minutes to dismantle Pegula in a one-sided quarter-final that reaffirmed her growing rhythm on clay ahead of the French Open later this month.
Swiatek entered the contest full of confidence after her emphatic win over Naomi Osaka in the previous round and wasted no time imposing herself on Pegula. The 24-year-old raced to a 5-0 lead in the opening set before the American finally managed to get on the board and avoid a bagel.
After that, Pegula breathed a sigh of relief. Swiatek continued to dictate plays with her signature depth and movement, allowing just three plays over the course of the match. The Pole finished with 15 winners to Pegula’s six in a dominant all-round performance.
“I feel a lot better,” Swiatek said after the win. “I have a lot of confidence in my shots. I used it today from the start of the match and I kept putting pressure on Jessie, so I’m really happy with how I played.”
The win marked Swiatek’s first win over a top-10 opponent this season and continued an encouraging turnaround after a tough start to the year. The former world number one began working with Francisco Roig, Rafael Nadal’s former coach, last month as she looks to rediscover her best form on clay.
A deep run in Rome would be a timely boost for Swiatek ahead of the start of the French Open on May 24. She had a frustrating outing at the Madrid Open earlier this month, where illness forced her to withdraw in the round of 32.
The path to the title in Rome also became more favorable after world number one Aryna Sabalenkova suffered a surprise third-round exit against Romania’s Sorana Cirstea.
Swiatek will face either reigning Australian Open champion Elena Rybakina or Ukrainian seventh seed Elina Svitolina in the semifinals.
In the next four matches, Cirstea will face two-time Grand Slam winner Coco Gauff.
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Issued by:
Saurabh Kumar
Published on:
13 May 2026 20:27 IST
