Swiatek into 10th semi-final of 2022

World number one eyes 60th season win after beating American qualifier McNally 6-4, 6-4 in Ostrava

OSTRAVA:

World number one Iga Swiatek reached her 10th semi-final of the season on Friday by defeating American qualifier Caty McNally in straight sets at the Ostrava WTA tournament.

French and US Open champion Swiatek triumphed 6-4, 6-4 to take her 2022 record to 59 wins against just seven defeats.

The 21-year-old Pole is just one victory away from tying Caroline Wozniacki, the last player to win 60 matches in a single season in 2017.

"It was definitely physical – at the beginning of the second set I could feel my energy level went down a little bit," said Swiatek, who fired 24 winners to McNally's 18.

"I'm pretty happy I got it back again and I could use my experience in my important moments, because Caty played really well."

Swiatek had won the 2018 French Open girls' doubles title with McNally, who is ranked at 151.

"Tactically it was easier to prepare, because I know her game style. She's playing differently to other players. But on the other hand, a lot of time has passed since we played last time. I knew she'd made progress and I had to be ready," added the top seed.

Swiatek will face either wild card Tereza Martincova of the Czech Republic or Russia's Ekaterina Alexandrova on Saturday for a place in the final.

Former French Open champion Barbora Krejcikova defeated 144th-ranked Alycia Parks 7-6 (9/7), 6-3 of the United States in her quarter-final.

The Czech will next face Kazakhstan's reigning Wimbledon champion Elena Rybakina who unleashed 31 winners past Petra Kvitova in a 7-6 (7/5), 6-4 victory.

The win gave Rybakina a career-best 36th main-draw victory this season.