The number one in the world equaled the longest streaks on the women’s court that Serena Williams had on her sheet of great monarch for seven years, no woman had had such a winning streak, until yesterday when "showed up" Iga Swiatek.
The number one defeated Aryna Sabalenka 6-2, 6-1 on Saturday to add 27 consecutive wins and advance to the final. Williams had won the same number of matches in 2014 and 2015. “I constantly surprise myself that I can play better and better,” Swiatek said. “I feel that now I can believe that there is no ceiling. That’s the best”. Defending her title in Rome and seeking her fifth consecutive tournament, Swiatek will take on Ons Jabeur, who beat Daria Kasatkina 6-4, 1-6, 7-5 for her 11th consecutive win and won the Open of Madrid last week. Although she sometimes struggled with her serve, Swiatek had forehand and backhand winners on the slow red clay of the Foro Italico. The Pole had a delicate semi-volley backhand in the last game of the first set. Swiatek had the same number of winners and unforced errors, while Sabalenka had eight winners and a whopping 31 unforced errors. “Today I felt like I really understood clay,” Swiatek said. Sabalenka requested a medical timeout in the second set to receive treatment on her back. Swiatek, the surprise 2020 French Open champion when she was ranked No.54, will be the favorite to win her second title at Roland Garros. The second Grand Slam tournament of the year starts next weekend. Swiatek’s opponent in the Italian final on Sunday will be either Ons Jabeur – on a 10-match winning streak – or Daria Kasatkina. Swiatek’s season has more than just a winning streak. Missing more than half, she has won as many matches this year (36) as in all of 2021. She is the seventh player to reach the Rome final twice before her 21st birthday. The previous ones were Chris Evert, Martina Navratilova, Gabriela Sabatini, Monica Seles, Martina Hingis and Venus Williams.
