Coco Gauff delivered a stunning performance in the Madrid Open semi-finals on Thursday, overpowering defending champion Iga Swiatek with a commanding 6-1, 6-1 victory. The American’s impressive display left Swiatek, the world number two and five-time Grand Slam champion, struggling to find her rhythm. Swiatek failed to break Gauff’s serve even once and conceded five breaks throughout the match, which lasted just 64 minutes.
Despite Swiatek’s reputation for excelling on clay, her title defense in Madrid has been rocky. Earlier in the tournament, she dropped sets to Alexandra Eala and Diana Shnaider, and on Wednesday, she was bagelled by Madison Keys in just 24 minutes. Although Swiatek had bounced back from those setbacks, Gauff proved too strong for her, securing her first-ever victory over Swiatek on clay.
In the opening set, Gauff took control with breaks in the third, fifth, and seventh games. She wrapped up the first set comfortably, converting her second set point. The second set saw Gauff continue her dominance, breaking Swiatek’s serve twice more and clinching the win with a love service game.
Meanwhile, in the men’s draw, Casper Ruud advanced to the semi-finals with a 6-3, 7-5 win over Daniil Medvedev. The Norwegian pressured Medvedev’s serve throughout the match, capitalizing on two of his eight break-point opportunities. Medvedev struggled on the clay, committing 33 unforced errors and four double faults. Ruud, ranked 15th in the world, will next face Francisco Cerundolo, who triumphed over Jakub Mensik in a three-set match.
