World No. 1 Iga Swiatek overcame a tough challenge from Diana Shnaider, the No. 13 seed, to advance to the quarterfinals of the Mutua Madrid Open. The match, part of Tuesday`s rescheduled play following a power outage that suspended fourth-round action, saw Swiatek ultimately triumph 6-0, 6-7(3), 6-4 in a battle lasting 2 hours and 34 minutes.
Despite a dominant 22-minute first set where she didn`t drop a game, Swiatek was tested throughout the rest of the match, successfully defending 11 out of 13 break points against her serve to secure the win.
This victory marks Swiatek`s seventh consecutive tournament reaching at least the quarterfinals this year. For a spot in the semifinals, she will face Australian Open champion and No. 5 seed Madison Keys, who defeated Donna Vekic 6-2, 6-3 in her fourth-round match.
This upcoming clash will be their first meeting since Keys defeated Swiatek from match point up in the Australian Open semifinals. However, Swiatek maintains a 4-2 head-to-head record against Keys, including a perfect 3-0 record on clay, all won in straight sets.
Furthermore, with this win, the four-time Roland Garros champion extended her remarkable streak of reaching 17 consecutive clay-court quarterfinals. This impressive run stretches back to her third-round loss to Ashleigh Barty at the Madrid Open in 2021 and is the longest such streak since Martina Hingis achieved 19 consecutive clay quarterfinals between 1997 and 2002.
Rupert Caldwell