Swiatek Beats Pegula 6-1, 6-2 for Italian Open Semis

ROME, Italy -- Fourth-seeded Iga Swiatek of Poland advanced to the semifinals of the Italian Open with a commanding 6-1, 6-2 victory over fifth-seeded Jessica Pegula of the United States in the quarterfinals on Wednesday at the Foro Italico.

The three-time champion completed the straight-sets win in just over an hour, firing 15 winners to Pegula's six while facing no break points. Swiatek raced to a 5-0 lead in the first set and maintained relentless baseline pressure throughout, marking her first victory over a top-10 opponent this season. Pegula, who had won their prior two meetings in straight sets, had not dropped a set in her first three matches but struggled to counter Swiatek's heavy topspin and aggressive play on clay.

Swiatek's run continued a strong resurgence on her preferred surface. She previously defeated Naomi Osaka 6-2, 6-1 in the round of 16 and Elisabetta Cocciaretto 6-1, 6-0 in the third round, dropping just seven games across her last three matches. "I feel much better," Swiatek said afterward. "I have a lot of confidence in my shots. I used that from the beginning of the match today and kept putting pressure on Jessie, so I'm really happy with how I played."