Swiatek Beats Navarro To Sail Into Second Aus Open Semifinal

(MENAFN- IANS) Melbourne, Jan 22 (IANS) World No.2 Iga Swiatek reached to her first Grand Slam semifinal outside Roland Garros since winning the 2022 US Open on Wednesday.

The five-time major champion eased past No.8 Emma Navarro 6-1, 6-2 in the Australian Open quarterfinals in 89 minutes.

Swiatek made her first hard-court Grand Slam semifinal at the Australian Open in 2022, where she lost to Danielle Collins.

Swiatek utilised her aggressive game to control the rally and move Navarro around the court. After claiming the first set in just 35 minutes, Swiatek faced more consistent pressure in the beginning of the second set.

Navarro, competing in her third straight Grand Slam quarterfinal, earned her first break point of the match while Swiatek was serving at 2-2. However, Swiatek erased that opportunity and broke back in the following game.

Overall, Navarro was able to push Swiatek to deuce in three of her service games in the second set, but the former world No. 1 held firm and completed the match without losing a point on her serve.

She will face another American for a spot in the final when she takes on No.14 Madison Keys, who clinched a spot in her seventh Grand Slam semifinal, and her third semifinal in Melbourne, with a 3-6, 6-3, 6-4 victory over No.28 seed Elina Svitolina of Ukraine.

Keys has now won ten straight matches during her hot start to 2025, having collected her ninth career title last week in Adelaide. Overall, she is 12-1 on the season with her only loss coming to eventual champion Clara Tauson in Auckland, WTA reports.

The singles semifinals will be played on Thursday evening at Melbourne Park. Swiatek and Keys will follow the first semifinal between World No.1 Aryna Sabalenka and No.12 Paula Badosa.

If Sabalenka and Swiatek advance to Saturday's final, the showdown will determine who leaves Melbourne Park as the WTA Tour World No 1.

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