Iga Swiatek is the first finalist of the WTA 1000 tournament in Rome. The world number one beat the American Coco Gauff, seeded number 3, in a semi-final that was closer than the score suggests. A 6-4 6-3 in an hour and 48 minutes which saw the Pole having to shoot out her best tennis to get the better of a Gauff who still played one of the most solid matches of the year. However, it was not enough for the winner of the 2023 US Open to beat the one who is currently clearly the best player in the world on clay, and the numbers fully certify this. For Swiatek it is the third final in Rome (two successes for her), the twelfth in a 1000 in her career, she is 15-0 against the American players on clay and 81-0 after she won the first set, and on Saturday she will chasing the twenty-first career title.
23 years
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Frankly impressive data for a player, among other things, who will only turn 23 on May 31st, with a very long career still ahead of her. The precedents between the two saw Swiatek as the great favorite for the semi-final, with nine victories in 10 direct matches against the American, but the dynamic was quite different compared to that of a match in control and from what the score says, with the Pole in difficulty on the diagonals and Gauff good at taking advantage of the Pole’s less than impeccable service percentages, especially at the start of the match. The two came to this match with different levels of confidence, but Coco tried to maintain the pace, especially at serve, with first shots at almost 200 kilometers per hour and great aggression, especially with the forehand. In the end, however, Swiatek’s greater strength and regularity prevailed. In the final the Pole will face the winner of the second semi-final, which will be played this evening no earlier than 8.30pm, between Aryna Sabalenka and Danielle Collins.
