Iga Swiatek’s Perfect 10 in Stuttgart as Coco Gauff and Aryna Sabalenka Collide

Iga Swiatek, the world number one and reigning champion, defeated Emma Raducanu in straight sets in the quarterfinals on Friday to extend her winning run to ten matches. Meanwhile, Aryna Sabalenka and Coco Gauff, the challengers for the championship, were shockingly defeated.

Former US Open winner Raducanu was defeated by first seed Swiatek, the German clay-court event champion in 2022 and 2023, 7-6 (7/2) 6-3.

Marketa Vondrousova, the reigning Wimbledon winner, defeated Sabalenka, the world no. 2 and three-time Stuttgart runner-up, 3-6, 6-3, 7-5.

The third-ranked player in the world and US Open winner, Gauff lost to Marta Kostyuk of Ukraine 3-6, 6-4, 7-6 (8/6).

In slightly over two hours, the 22-year-old Swiatek defeated Raducanu, who was competing in her first quarterfinal since 2022.

She got off to a rather carefree start, acting as if she had nothing to lose, and I completely understand that. That is how it is sometimes, according to Swiatek.

However, I was aware that I was beginning to wonder whether she would be able to maintain the same level of energy for the whole of the match. It has nothing to do with return or service games. I was just waiting for my opportunities to retaliate, and I knew that I would get them.

Raducanu showed positive signals of being back to her previous level despite her setback.

She won two sets for Britain last weekend in the Billie Jean King Cup against France, and then she won two more matches in Stuttgart. This is the first time she has won four straight matches since winning the US Open in 2021.

The former world no. 10 arrived in Stuttgart with a 303 ranking. Stuttgart proved to be her last 2023 event a year and a half before she had surgery on both wrists and her ankle.

– Kostyuk comeback – In order to advance to the final, Swiatek will take on fourth-seeded Elena Rybakina, who overcame Jasmine Paolini 6-3, 5-7, 6-3.

Vondrousova surprised Sabalenka to go to her first semi-final since winning Wimbledon in July of last year.

The sixth-seeded Czech, who had lost four straight against Sabalenka between 2018 and 2023, was ecstatic to have won against her in six years.

For the fourth year in a row, Australian Open winner Sabalenka was trying to reach the Stuttgart final.

Vondrousova scored 17 wins to the formidable Belarusian’s 35, but the latter made 48 forced mistakes to Vondrousova’s 19.

Importantly, Vondrousova scored seven out of eight break points, but Sabalenka only scored six times out of fifteen chances.

After the 27th-ranked Ukrainian exacted revenge on Gauff for the setback she suffered in the Australian Open quarterfinal, Vondrousova will take against Kostyuk for a spot in the Sunday final.

After needing more than three hours to overcome Laura Siegemund in the first round, the 21-year-old Kostyuk saved five match points to overcome Zheng Qinwen in the round of sixteen.

On Friday, she overcame deficits of 4-2 in the second set and 3-1 in the third, forcing Gauff to save seven match chances in total.

The Ukrainian advanced to her third 2024 semifinal after scoring 35 wins and generating a total of 21 break points.

“Well, it means a lot because it takes a lot of work and discipline to be consistent in tennis,” Kostyuk said to wtatennis.com.

“Everything around you needs to function flawlessly.”