Focused Swiatek one step closer to winning Dubai title

Iga Swiatek, one of the most awe-inspiring and technically dominant women in the sport today, stormed into the semifinals at the WTA’s Dubai Duty Free Tennis Championships.

Swiatek, the number one player in the world for the past 91 weeks, effortlessly extended her winning streak over China’s Qinwen Zheng, the No 6 seed, with an easy 6-3, 6-2 win.

In the semis, Swiatek will face unseeded Russian Anna Kalinskaya who stunned US Open champion Coco Gauff 2-6 6-4 6-2 in the last quarterfinal on Thursday.

“We always have tight matches, it’s always intense and hard,” Swiatek said on centre court. “I’m really proud of myself that I was really focused today and I just kept pushing. She’s in great shape right now so I’m so proud of her.

“In tennis you have to choose the right solutions and right tools and this is the most important part. I have already played plenty of matches on this court so I feel like I’m at home so that I can just focus on the matches,” she added.

Speaking about the chances of winning a maiden Dubai title, Swiatek added: “Honestly I’m not thinking about winning the title. I like to take it step by step, stay humble and focused. No point in over analyzing that (the title).”

Zheng, the Australian Open runner-up, waged a brave battle as she fought to end a five-match losing streak to Swiatek, but could replicate her Australian Open brilliance in Melbourne where she was beaten by Aryna Sabalenka.

The Chinese player, is a self-confessed karaoke fan who loves Eminem and Rihanna, had her moments but could no capitalize against a sublime Swiatek.

The Pole had absolute control of the first set although she did present Zheng with a chance to break in the set, which Zheng was unable to convert.

Swiatek broke early in the second set and although the intensity of the match was pretty high she did not lose her grip on the rallies that have titled the scale but which invariably went in her favour.

She breezed to a 5-2 lead and sealed victory in the final game leaving Zheng feeling frustrated and wondering what she needed to do to beat her nemesis.

The 22-year-old Pole, who won in Doha last week, equaled Victoria Azarenka’s record of reaching the most WTA-1000 semifinals before turning 23. The pair are tied on 13, with Caroline Wozniacki have reach the last four stage on 11 occasions.

Earlier in the afternoon, unseeded Romanian Sorana Cirstea saved six match points to upset reigning Wimbledon champion Marketa Vondrousova from the Czech Republic in a comeback of epic proportions.

Cirstea will play Italian Jasmine Paolini for a place in the final after Elena Rybakina, the first player from Kazakhstan to win at Wimbledon, withdrew from the tournament due to gastrointestinal illness.

“For sure, this has to be the biggest comeback of my career. At least I don't remember winning from a set and 5-1. I just found out I was six match points down. Of course it means a lot," Cirstea said.

“Again, it's a lesson that in life we have to fight. It doesn't matter. There is a saying: you have to fight until the last point. Today you could see why.”

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