By Richard Pagliaro | @Tennis_Now | Tuesday, April 30, 2024
Iga Swiatek blew a 4-1 lead then won 12 of the last 14 games in a 4-6, 6-0, 6-2 win over Beatriz Haddad Maia to reach her second Madrid semifinal.
Photo credit: Matteo Villalba/Getty
Seeing a 4-1 lead slip from her grip, Iga Swiatek slapped her thigh in frustration.
Swiatek suffered separation anxiety for a set today—she couldn’t shirk Beatriz Haddad Maia’s shadow.
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Resetting, Swiatek pounded drives into the corners, accelerating through 12 of the final 14 games in a 4-6, 6-0, 6-2 comeback to charge into the Mutua Madrid Open semifinals for the second straight year.
Growing stronger as the match progressed, Swiatek broke serve seven times, stopping Haddad Maia for the third time in four meetings.
"I needed to for sure stick to the tactics, because in the first set I started making too many mistakes," Swiatek told the media in Madrid. "I started playing too fast.
"Yeah, I just needed to really get back to basics and what I wanted to play today. It took me a while, longer than usual, but I'm glad that it happened after the set anyway."
World No. 1 Swiatek reached her 15th WTA 1000 semifinal—the most by any woman younger than 23 years old.
Continuing her hunt for her third title this season, Swiatek raised her 2024 record to 28-4.
The 22-year-old Pole will play either 2022 Madrid champion Ons Jabeur or 18th-seeded American Madison Keys for a place in the final.
"They play different games, so I will need to prepare tactically," Swiatek said of the semifinals. "It's not like I'm going to go and play the same way against both of them.
"So we'll see who's going to win, and then I'm going to prepare. Against Ons it's always a battle, and Maddie can really have great tournaments. We'll see."
Today’s first quarterfinal was a rematch of the 2023 Roland Garros semifinals. In Paris last June, Swiatek saved a set point in the tiebreaker topping Haddad Maia 6-2, 7-6(7) to advance to her third Roland Garros final in the last five years.
The three-time Roland Garros champion came out beating the Brazilian to the ball and calling most of the shots in the first 20 minutes of this Madrid rematch.
Haddad Maia double-faulted away the first break, ceding Swiatek a 3-1 lead after 21 minutes of play.
Facing break point in the following game, Swiatek paused to freeze the Brazilian then belted a forehand behind her down the line saving break point. Swiatek consolidated for 4-1 just 25 minutes into the match.
At that point, the world No. 1 looked in control.
The Brazilian began to find her groove and completely flipped the script. Haddad Maia broke back then fought back from love-40 down fending off triple break point to prevail in a 14-point game. That spirited hold evened the set 4-all.
A confident Haddad Maia broke at 30 for 5-4.
Whipping her left-handed forehand, the world No. 14 converted her third set point capping a five-game surge to snatch a first-set that seemed solely in Swiatek’s hand.
Champions answer challenges with conviction.
Swiatek responded with rapid movement and ruthless ball control.
Getting to the ball early to set up for her shots, Swiatek was turning her hips and shoulders through her fierce forehand to push her opponent into obscure positions behind the baseline.
A swarming Swiatek stormed through eight straight games snatching the second set on the strength of winning 12 of 13 service points and jumping out to a 2-0 lead in the final set.
Standing her ground, Haddad Maia repelled a series of Swiatek topspin forehands then took her two-hander down the line, eventually earning the error to break back for 1-2.
As running rallies progressed, Swiatek was draining errors from her opponent. Driving Haddad Maia back behind the baseline, Swiatek swooped in to block an easy forehand volley scoring her sixth break of the day for a 3-1 lead.
Serving at 4-2, 30-all, Swiatek hit a high-bounding kick serve that handcuffed her opponent and helped her hold for 5-2.
Unleashing crackling forehands, Swiatek slammed a forehand to earn match point in the eighth game.
A deep forehand drive rattled out a final error as Swiatek smiled and pumped a clenched fist to her box.
Swiatek is bidding to join Dinara Safina (2009) and Serena Williams (2013) as the third top-seeded woman in tournament history to raise the Madrid title trophy.