Wimbledon's controversial expansion plan is set to go ahead after a legal challenge against the decision to approve the proposal was dismissed by a High Court judge on Monday. The 'Save Wimbledon Park' campaign group took action against the Greater London Authority's decision last year to grant a planning permission that would almost triple the size of the site for the grass-court Grand Slam. The proposals would see the construction of 38 new tennis courts and an 8,000-seat stadium on the grounds of the former Wimbledon Park Golf Club, which would allow it to host All England Club qualifiers on site instead of across south London at Roehampton.Also Read: <a href="https://www.wionews.com/sports/-indians-are-being-treated-very-unfairly-trump-demands-washington-and-cleveland-teams-to-return-to-old-monikers-1753103898329">Trump demands Washington and Cleveland teams to return to old monikers</a>The campaign group's barristers told the High Court earlier this month that the decision to approve the plans was "irrational" and should be quashed, as Wimbledon Park was covered by restrictions on how it could be used.But Wimbledon chiefs defended the challenge, with the court told that the decision was a "planning judgement properly exercised" and that the restrictions were not "material".In a ruling on Monday, Justice Saini dismissed the challenge."In short, the defendant's decision on the relevance of deliverability, applying to both the statutory trust and the restrictive covenants, was a planning judgement rationally exercised and having regard to appropriate and relevant factors," he said.Planning permission for the scheme was initially granted by Jules Pipe, London's deputy mayor for planning, who said that the proposals "would facilitate very significant benefits" which "clearly outweigh the harm".Following Monday's High Court ruling, the campaign group said it had been "advised that it should" seek to challenge the decision."SWP is not taking this step lightly but believes that the GLA did make a significant legal error in the way it dealt with the special legal status of the park," a statement said.The latest edition of Wimbledon concluded on July 13, with Jannik Sinner winning the men's title and Iga Swiatek lifting the women's trophy.Disclaimer: This story has been published from a news agency feed with minimal edits to adhere to WION's style guide. The headline may have been changed to better reflect the content of the story or to make it more suitable for WION audience.&nbsp;

The campaign group's barristers told the High Court earlier this month that the decision to approve the plans was "irrational" and should be quashed, as Wimbledon Park was covered by restrictions on how it could be used.

Wimbledon's controversial expansion plan is set to go ahead after a legal challenge against the decision to approve the proposal was dismissed by a High Court judge on Monday. The 'Save Wimbledon Park' campaign group took action against the Greater London Authority's decision last year to grant a planning permission that would almost triple the size of the site for the grass-court Grand Slam. The proposals would see the construction of 38 new tennis courts and an 8,000-seat stadium on the grounds of the former Wimbledon Park Golf Club, which would allow it to host All England Club qualifiers on site instead of across south London at Roehampton. Also Read: Trump demands Washington and Cleveland teams to return to old monikers The campaign group's barristers told the High Court earlier this month that the decision to approve the plans was "irrational" and should be quashed, as Wimbledon Park was covered by restrictions on how it could be used. But Wimbledon chiefs defended the challenge, with the court told that the decision was a "planning judgement properly exercised" and that the restrictions were not "material". In a ruling on Monday, Justice Saini dismissed the challenge. "In short, the defendant's decision on the relevance of deliverability, applying to both the statutory trust and the restrictive covenants, was a planning judgement rationally exercised and having regard to appropriate and relevant factors," he said. Planning permission for the scheme was initially granted by Jules Pipe, London's deputy mayor for planning, who said that the proposals "would facilitate very significant benefits" which "clearly outweigh the harm". Following Monday's High Court ruling, the campaign group said it had been "advised that it should" seek to challenge the decision. "SWP is not taking this step lightly but believes that the GLA did make a significant legal error in the way it dealt with the special legal status of the park," a statement said. The latest edition of Wimbledon concluded on July 13, with Jannik Sinner winning the men's title and Iga Swiatek lifting the women's trophy. Disclaimer: This story has been published from a news agency feed with minimal edits to adhere to WION's style guide. The headline may have been changed to better reflect the content of the story or to make it more suitable for WION audience.

The campaign group's barristers told the High Court earlier this month that the decision to approve the plans was "irrational" and should be quashed, as Wimbledon Park was covered by restrictions on how it could be used.

Wimbledon expansion plans get go ahead from High Court

Iga Swiatek scripted history by becoming the first player to win a Wimbledon ladies' singles final with a double bagel in the Open Era. Swiatek defeated American Amanda Anisimova to win 2025 Championship title with the scoreline of 6-0,6-0 to get her hands on the silverware. Seeded eighth in the tournament, Iga dropped just one set to claim her maiden title at Wimbledon and sixth grand slam overall. Earlier, Amanda had stunned the sports fraternity by defeating tournament seed 1, Aryna Sabalenka, in the semi-final. As Swiatek is having time of her life, let's know the first woman who had beaten Swiatek in 2019 at the All England Lawn Tennis Club in southwest London.&nbsp;Back in 2019, Switzerland's Viktorija Golubic had defeated Swiatek in straight sets with the scoreline of 6-2, 7-6(7-3) on Court 11 at the All England Club. Looking at this, you might have had a question in your mind.<h2>Who is Viktorija Golubic?</h2>&nbsp;Well, Golubic is a Swiss tennis player currently seeded no. 85 in the world. She began playing at the age of five, inspired by her sister and legendary Monica Seles (nine-time grand slam winner, former no.1), even copying her by hitting two-handed on both sides until the age of 11. Born to Serbian and Croatian parents, Golubic speaks four languages: German, English, Serbian and Croatian.&nbsp;Also read | <a href="https://www.wionews.com/sports/cast-from-the-past-the-only-time-wimbledon-broke-its-all-white-rule-for-players-know-more-1751525019321">Cast from the Past: The only time players wore non-white kits at Wimbledon court | Know More</a>&nbsp;Her career took off in 2016 when she won her maiden WTA title in Gstaad, where she edged past then-seeded third Kiki Bertens with a scoreline of 4-6, 6-3, 6-4. Eight years later, she lifted her second WTA trophy in Jiujiang, where she defeated Rebecca Šramková in straight sets (6-3, 7-5) and followed it up with a WTA 125 title in Limoges to close out the 2024 season strongly. Golubic also won a silver medal at the Tokyo Olympics in doubles with Belinda Bencic and cracked the top 50 WTA rankings in 2021.&nbsp;She reached the quarterfinals at Wimbledon 2021 and famously handed Iga Swiatek her first-ever singles loss at the All England Club back in 2019. Currently seeded 85, Gobulik will look to make it strong at Flushing Meadows after first-round heartbreak at the SW19.

As Swiatek is having her time of life, let's know the first woman who had beaten Swiatek in 2019 at the All England Lawn Tennis Club in southwest London.

Iga Swiatek scripted history by becoming the first player to win a Wimbledon ladies' singles final with a double bagel in the Open Era. Swiatek defeated American Amanda Anisimova to win 2025 Championship title with the scoreline of 6-0,6-0 to get her hands on the silverware. Seeded eighth in the tournament, Iga dropped just one set to claim her maiden title at Wimbledon and sixth grand slam overall. Earlier, Amanda had stunned the sports fraternity by defeating tournament seed 1, Aryna Sabalenka, in the semi-final. As Swiatek is having time of her life, let's know the first woman who had beaten Swiatek in 2019 at the All England Lawn Tennis Club in southwest London. Back in 2019, Switzerland's Viktorija Golubic had defeated Swiatek in straight sets with the scoreline of 6-2, 7-6(7-3) on Court 11 at the All England Club. Looking at this, you might have had a question in your mind. Who is Viktorija Golubic? Well, Golubic is a Swiss tennis player currently seeded no. 85 in the world. She began playing at the age of five, inspired by her sister and legendary Monica Seles (nine-time grand slam winner, former no.1), even copying her by hitting two-handed on both sides until the age of 11. Born to Serbian and Croatian parents, Golubic speaks four languages: German, English, Serbian and Croatian. Also read | Cast from the Past: The only time players wore non-white kits at Wimbledon court | Know More Her career took off in 2016 when she won her maiden WTA title in Gstaad, where she edged past then-seeded third Kiki Bertens with a scoreline of 4-6, 6-3, 6-4. Eight years later, she lifted her second WTA trophy in Jiujiang, where she defeated Rebecca Šramková in straight sets (6-3, 7-5) and followed it up with a WTA 125 title in Limoges to close out the 2024 season strongly. Golubic also won a silver medal at the Tokyo Olympics in doubles with Belinda Bencic and cracked the top 50 WTA rankings in 2021. She reached the quarterfinals at Wimbledon 2021 and famously handed Iga Swiatek her first-ever singles loss at the All England Club back in 2019. Currently seeded 85, Gobulik will look to make it strong at Flushing Meadows after first-round heartbreak at the SW19.

As Swiatek is having her time of life, let's know the first woman who had beaten Swiatek in 2019 at the All England Lawn Tennis Club in southwest London.

Who is the first woman to defeat Iga Swiatek at Wimbledon? She is an Olympic silver medalist

Wimbledon champion Iga Swiatek stirred a social media frenzy by revealing a surprising favourite dish: Pasta with strawberries. Just like pineapple on pizza, it's become a divisive dish, with backers and haters. If you're the former, this is how you make Swiatek's favourite strawberry pasta.

Iga Swiatek's strawberry pasta divides the internet. Step-by-step recipe here

Poland’s Iga Swiatek took another step towards a career Grand Slam title on Saturday (July 12) after she won the Wimbledon ladies singles Championship beating America’s Amanda Anisimova in a double bagel (6-0, 6-0). While the win was historic, the Poland star also made headlines for some off-court diet routines, which included pasta with strawberries, raising eyebrows among tennis fans. However, she has now been joined by Poland’s Prime Minister Donald Tusk whose post has gone viral which included pasta with strawberries.&nbsp;

<blockquote class="twitter-tweet">Smacznego! 🏆 <a href="https://t.co/aSNKNIh4uw">pic.twitter.com/aSNKNIh4uw</a>&mdash; Donald Tusk (@donaldtusk) <a href="https://twitter.com/donaldtusk/status/1944077689687830854?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">July 12, 2025</a></blockquote> <script async src="https://platform.twitter.com/widgets.js" charset="utf-8"></script>

<h2>Polish PM takes centre stage</h2>Swiatek, after winning her third round match against Danielle Collins, Świątek revealed that her favourite dish is pasta with strawberries, which resonated with some while raising eyebrows with others across the continent. After the Championship win over Anisimova, Poland PM Tusk posted a picture where he is seen having pasta with strawberries, supporting a surprising cocktail dish.&nbsp;&nbsp;"I have my favourite dish. I ate it often as a child. It's pasta with strawberries. You should try it. Pasta, strawberries and a bit of yogurt, it's just delicious," Świątek said after winning her match against Danielle Collins.&nbsp;ALSO READ | <a href="https://www.wionews.com/sports/indian-bowlers-achieve-rare-test-record-at-lords-first-time-since-1955-1752498536717">In series dominated by batters, Indian bowlers achieve RARE Test record first time since 1955</a>&nbsp;Netizens did not hold back after the revelation as funny reactions have since surfaced including a few stating “crime against pasta” to underline the lack of support for a cocktail.

<blockquote class="twitter-tweet">I prefer pierogi with strawberries but yes, we also have pasta. And, worth reminding, Polish cuisine is among the best in the world. <a href="https://t.co/ClZNCF1ivg">pic.twitter.com/ClZNCF1ivg</a>&mdash; pedro65 🇵🇱 (@PiotrJungiewicz) <a href="https://twitter.com/PiotrJungiewicz/status/1941782733144863086?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">July 6, 2025</a></blockquote> <script async src="https://platform.twitter.com/widgets.js" charset="utf-8"></script>

“I prefer pierogi with strawberries but yes, we also have pasta. And, worth reminding, Polish cuisine is among the best in the world,” wrote one of the users.&nbsp; “Omg so funny!” wrote another user.&nbsp;“People often mock Polish strawberry pasta, but it’s actually a nutritious meal,” another user wrote while supporting the claim.<h2>One step away from career Grand Slam</h2>After Saturday’s win, Swiatek is just one step away from completing a career Grand Slam as she now needs an Australian Open crown to complete the set. She now has six major slams to her name including four French Open, one US Open and the latest Wimbledon crown. She was the losing semifinalist at the Australian Open earlier in the year, and will now vow to complete the impressive trophy haul.

Iga Swiatek, after winning her third round match against Danielle Collins revealed that her favourite dish is pasta with strawberries, which resonated with some while raising eyebrows with others across the continent. 

Poland’s Iga Swiatek took another step towards a career Grand Slam title on Saturday (July 12) after she won the Wimbledon ladies singles Championship beating America’s Amanda Anisimova in a double bagel (6-0, 6-0). While the win was historic, the Poland star also made headlines for some off-court diet routines, which included pasta with strawberries, raising eyebrows among tennis fans. However, she has now been joined by Poland’s Prime Minister Donald Tusk whose post has gone viral which included pasta with strawberries.

Iga Swiatek, after winning her third round match against Danielle Collins revealed that her favourite dish is pasta with strawberries, which resonated with some while raising eyebrows with others across the continent.&nbsp;

'Pasta with strawberries', Polish PM's post goes viral days after Iga Swiatek makes bizarre food confession

With the Wimbledon 2025 championship getting over on Sunday (July 13), Italy’s Jannik Sinner clinched his maiden SW19 title. Here's a look at all the five winners from different categories featuring Iga Swiatek and others.

Who won Wimbledon 2025? Full list of singles, doubles and mixed doubles champions

History was scripted on Saturday (July 12) as Poland’s Iga Swiatek won her maiden Wimbledon crown after defeating American Amanda Anisimova in a double bagel (6-0, 6-0) at the Centre Court in the ladies singles championship. The 25-year-old became the latest to lift the Venus Rosewater Dish, adding another feather to her already impressive major slams hat. Renowned for her forehand and aggressive play, Swiatek has also famously adorned the nickname “towel thief” and was presented a souvenir by the Wimbledon authorities after her latest triumph.<h2>Why was 'towel thief' Iga Swiatek gifted personalised souvenir?</h2>Renowned for her aggression and serve, Swiatek’s love for Wimbledon towels has not gone hiding as she is often seen bagging multiple towels after the match. Her funny gesture to take the on-court towels away after the match earned her the nickname “towel thief” among the Wimbledon fans. She has been spotted doing it on multiple occasions during the two weeks of the Championships.&nbsp;However, on Saturday the authorities at SW19 saw the funny side of the story and gifted the new champion a souvenir which consisted of a towel. However, there was a twist to the story as the towel was embossed with the words “property of Iga Swiatek, Wimbledon Champion”, reflecting the status of the Pole.&nbsp;ALSO READ | <a href="https://www.wionews.com/sports/ind-vs-eng-3rd-test-lord-s-grow-some-fucking-balls-shubman-gill-to-zak-crawley-late-on-day-3-at-lords-watch-1752344680686">‘Grow some F**ing B***s’: Gill to Crawley after English batter wastes time late on day 3 at Lord’s – WATCH</a>&nbsp;“This one’s for keeps,” Wimbledon posted on X, alongside a picture of a beaming Swiatek.Swiatek had said following her opening round victory that tennis players loved their towels.&nbsp;“It’s a topic no one ever talks about,” she said.<h2>One step away from career Grand Slam</h2>After Saturday’s win, Swiatek is just one step away from completing a career Grand Slam as she now needs an Australian Open crown to complete the set. She now has six major slams to her name including four French Open, one US Open and the latest Wimbledon crown. She was the losing semifinalist at the Australian Open earlier in the year, and will now vow to complete the impressive trophy haul.

History was scripted on Saturday (July 12) as Poland’s Iga Swiatek won her maiden Wimbledon crown after defeating American Amanda Anisimova in a double bagel (6-0, 6-0) at the Centre Court in the ladies singles championship. 

History was scripted on Saturday (July 12) as Poland’s Iga Swiatek won her maiden Wimbledon crown after defeating American Amanda Anisimova in a double bagel (6-0, 6-0) at the Centre Court in the ladies singles championship. The 25-year-old became the latest to lift the Venus Rosewater Dish, adding another feather to her already impressive major slams hat. Renowned for her forehand and aggressive play, Swiatek has also famously adorned the nickname “towel thief” and was presented a souvenir by the Wimbledon authorities after her latest triumph. Why was 'towel thief' Iga Swiatek gifted personalised souvenir? Renowned for her aggression and serve, Swiatek’s love for Wimbledon towels has not gone hiding as she is often seen bagging multiple towels after the match. Her funny gesture to take the on-court towels away after the match earned her the nickname “towel thief” among the Wimbledon fans. She has been spotted doing it on multiple occasions during the two weeks of the Championships. However, on Saturday the authorities at SW19 saw the funny side of the story and gifted the new champion a souvenir which consisted of a towel. However, there was a twist to the story as the towel was embossed with the words “property of Iga Swiatek, Wimbledon Champion”, reflecting the status of the Pole. ALSO READ | ‘Grow some F**ing B***s’: Gill to Crawley after English batter wastes time late on day 3 at Lord’s – WATCH “This one’s for keeps,” Wimbledon posted on X, alongside a picture of a beaming Swiatek. Swiatek had said following her opening round victory that tennis players loved their towels. “It’s a topic no one ever talks about,” she said. One step away from career Grand Slam After Saturday’s win, Swiatek is just one step away from completing a career Grand Slam as she now needs an Australian Open crown to complete the set. She now has six major slams to her name including four French Open, one US Open and the latest Wimbledon crown. She was the losing semifinalist at the Australian Open earlier in the year, and will now vow to complete the impressive trophy haul.

History was scripted on Saturday (July 12) as Poland’s Iga Swiatek won her maiden Wimbledon crown after defeating American Amanda Anisimova in a double bagel (6-0, 6-0) at the Centre Court in the ladies singles championship.&nbsp;

Why was 'towel thief' Iga Swiatek gifted personalised souvenir after historic Wimbledon win? All you need to know

Iga Swiatek routed former Olympic champion Belinda Bencic 6-2, 6-0 on Thursday to reach her first Wimbledon final, where she will face Amanda Anisimova. The five-time Grand Slam champion, seeded eighth at the All England Club, dominated her Swiss opponent from the start, wrapping up victory in 71 minutes on Centre Court. "Honestly, I never even dreamed that it's going to be possible for me to play in the final. So I'm just super-excited and proud of myself and I don't know, tennis keeps surprising me," said Swiatek.Also Read - <a href="https://www.wionews.com/sports/who-is-amanda-anisimova-american-player-beats-sabalenka-to-reach-maiden-wimbledon-final-1752161381675">Wimbledon: Anisimova upsets top seed Sabalenka to reach maiden final - Who's she</a>"I thought I had lived through everything, even though I'm young, I thought I experienced everything on the court but I didn't experience playing well on grass, so that's the first time and I'm super, super excited and just enjoying it."On a baking Centre Court, the 24-year-old caught Bencic cold, racing into a 3-0 lead.Bencic, ranked 35th in the world, found her footing, holding serve twice but Polish star Swiatek broke to love in the eighth game to take the match by the scruff of the neck.Bencic, who returned to action in October, six months after giving birth to her daughter, Bella, was immediately under pressure in the second set as Swiatek broke for a 2-0 lead.The rampant Swiatek did not allow Bencic a single game in a remarkably one-sided second set.Despite her impressive form, Swiatek has largely gone under the radar at this year's Wimbledon, dropping just one set so far while the top seven women's seeds were all eliminated.After slipping down the rankings, she is now back in the world's top four having reached her first ever grass-court final at Bad Homburg last month.Swiatek has won four French Open titles on clay, as well as the 2022 US Open on hard courts, but until this year she had never been beyond the quarter-finals at Wimbledon.She will face Anisimova for the first time in her career on Saturday after the American 13th seed beat world number one Aryna Sabalenka 6-4, 4-6, 6-4 to reach her first Wimbledon final.Disclaimer: This story has been published from a news agency feed with minimal edits to adhere to WION's style guide. The headline may have been changed to better reflect the content of the story or to make it more suitable for WION audience.

Bencic, who returned to action in October, six months after giving birth to her daughter, Bella, was immediately under pressure in the second set as Swiatek broke for a 2-0 lead.

Iga Swiatek routed former Olympic champion Belinda Bencic 6-2, 6-0 on Thursday to reach her first Wimbledon final, where she will face Amanda Anisimova. The five-time Grand Slam champion, seeded eighth at the All England Club, dominated her Swiss opponent from the start, wrapping up victory in 71 minutes on Centre Court. "Honestly, I never even dreamed that it's going to be possible for me to play in the final. So I'm just super-excited and proud of myself and I don't know, tennis keeps surprising me," said Swiatek. Also Read - Wimbledon: Anisimova upsets top seed Sabalenka to reach maiden final - Who's she "I thought I had lived through everything, even though I'm young, I thought I experienced everything on the court but I didn't experience playing well on grass, so that's the first time and I'm super, super excited and just enjoying it." On a baking Centre Court, the 24-year-old caught Bencic cold, racing into a 3-0 lead. Bencic, ranked 35th in the world, found her footing, holding serve twice but Polish star Swiatek broke to love in the eighth game to take the match by the scruff of the neck. Bencic, who returned to action in October, six months after giving birth to her daughter, Bella, was immediately under pressure in the second set as Swiatek broke for a 2-0 lead. The rampant Swiatek did not allow Bencic a single game in a remarkably one-sided second set. Despite her impressive form, Swiatek has largely gone under the radar at this year's Wimbledon, dropping just one set so far while the top seven women's seeds were all eliminated. After slipping down the rankings, she is now back in the world's top four having reached her first ever grass-court final at Bad Homburg last month. Swiatek has won four French Open titles on clay, as well as the 2022 US Open on hard courts, but until this year she had never been beyond the quarter-finals at Wimbledon. She will face Anisimova for the first time in her career on Saturday after the American 13th seed beat world number one Aryna Sabalenka 6-4, 4-6, 6-4 to reach her first Wimbledon final. Disclaimer: This story has been published from a news agency feed with minimal edits to adhere to WION's style guide. The headline may have been changed to better reflect the content of the story or to make it more suitable for WION audience.

Bencic, who returned to action in October, six months after giving birth to her daughter, Bella, was immediately under pressure in the second set as Swiatek broke for a 2-0 lead.

Wimbledon 2025: Swiatek sets up women's singles title clash against fellow maiden finalist Anisimova

Jannik Sinner swept into the third round of Wimbledon on Thursday as the world number one thrashed Australia's Aleksandar Vukic 6-1, 6-1, 6-3.While several of Wimbledon's top stars have suffered shock exits, including third seed Alexander Zverev and world number four Jack Draper, there has been no hint of an upset in Sinner's opening two matches. The 23-year-old has dropped just 12 games in demolishing Vukic and Luca Nardi to make the last 32 at the All England Club. Sinner's biggest struggle came in the final game as he had to wait until his sixth match point to serve it out and saved a break point with a sensational cross-court forehand winner.&nbsp;"I enjoyed it because I won the game! If not, I don't know," said Sinner after an unusual show of flamboyance as he whipped up the crowd's adulation on saving the break point. "The match can change very, very quickly. If he breaks me there, it can go a long distance.&nbsp;"I was lucky with that shot, so thank you to my racquet, which somehow made it to put the ball in the court. I'm very happy to win in straight sets."&nbsp;Also read | <a href="https://www.wionews.com/sports/wimbledon-2025-tennis-marin-cilic-sends-fourth-seed-jack-draper-crashing-out-in-shocker-1751601556778">Marin Cilic sends fourth seed Draper crashing out in Wimbledon shocker</a>&nbsp;After blowing a two-set lead and three match-points in his agonising French Open final defeat on clay against Carlos Alcaraz in June, Sinner is on a mission to make amends on grass in London.&nbsp;The three-time Grand Slam champion has never been past the Wimbledon semi-finals in four previous visits.&nbsp;But the Italian is back in the groove and is on course for a blockbuster clash with world number two Alcaraz in the final on July 13.&nbsp;The reigning US Open and Australian Open champion next faces another Spaniard, Pedro Martinez, on Saturday.<h3>Swiatek survives scare</h3>&nbsp;Iga Swiatek survived a Wimbledon scare as the five-time Grand Slam champion fought back for a 5-7, 6-2, 6-1 win against American world number 208 Caty McNally on Thursday. Polish eighth seed Swiatek was in danger of becoming the latest star to crash out of the grass-court Grand Slam after losing the first set on Centre Court.&nbsp;&nbsp;Five of the top 10 seeds have already been eliminated from the women's singles draw. But the 24-year-old dug deep to win the final two sets as she moved into the third round.&nbsp;Despite being a former junior champion at Wimbledon, Swiatek has struggled on grass in her professional career, with none of her 22 WTA titles coming on the surface.&nbsp;The former world number one, who has won the French Open on clay four times, has never been past the quarter-finals in five previous visits to the All England Club.&nbsp;Swiatek said she "showed there is hope" for her on grass after reaching the Bad Homburg Open final in the build-up to Wimbledon. Beaten in the Australian and French Open semi-finals this year, Swiatek can still dream of making it to the Wimbledon final for the first time.&nbsp;Disclaimer: This story has been published from a news agency feed with minimal edits to adhere to WION's style guide. The headline may have been changed to better reflect the content of the story or to make it more suitable for the WION audience.

The 23-year-old has dropped just 12 games in demolishing Vukic and Luca Nardi to make the last 32 at the All England Club.

Jannik Sinner swept into the third round of Wimbledon on Thursday as the world number one thrashed Australia's Aleksandar Vukic 6-1, 6-1, 6-3. While several of Wimbledon's top stars have suffered shock exits, including third seed Alexander Zverev and world number four Jack Draper, there has been no hint of an upset in Sinner's opening two matches. The 23-year-old has dropped just 12 games in demolishing Vukic and Luca Nardi to make the last 32 at the All England Club. Sinner's biggest struggle came in the final game as he had to wait until his sixth match point to serve it out and saved a break point with a sensational cross-court forehand winner. "I enjoyed it because I won the game! If not, I don't know," said Sinner after an unusual show of flamboyance as he whipped up the crowd's adulation on saving the break point. "The match can change very, very quickly. If he breaks me there, it can go a long distance. "I was lucky with that shot, so thank you to my racquet, which somehow made it to put the ball in the court. I'm very happy to win in straight sets." Also read | Marin Cilic sends fourth seed Draper crashing out in Wimbledon shocker After blowing a two-set lead and three match-points in his agonising French Open final defeat on clay against Carlos Alcaraz in June, Sinner is on a mission to make amends on grass in London. The three-time Grand Slam champion has never been past the Wimbledon semi-finals in four previous visits. But the Italian is back in the groove and is on course for a blockbuster clash with world number two Alcaraz in the final on July 13. The reigning US Open and Australian Open champion next faces another Spaniard, Pedro Martinez, on Saturday. Swiatek survives scare Iga Swiatek survived a Wimbledon scare as the five-time Grand Slam champion fought back for a 5-7, 6-2, 6-1 win against American world number 208 Caty McNally on Thursday. Polish eighth seed Swiatek was in danger of becoming the latest star to crash out of the grass-court Grand Slam after losing the first set on Centre Court. Five of the top 10 seeds have already been eliminated from the women's singles draw. But the 24-year-old dug deep to win the final two sets as she moved into the third round. Despite being a former junior champion at Wimbledon, Swiatek has struggled on grass in her professional career, with none of her 22 WTA titles coming on the surface. The former world number one, who has won the French Open on clay four times, has never been past the quarter-finals in five previous visits to the All England Club. Swiatek said she "showed there is hope" for her on grass after reaching the Bad Homburg Open final in the build-up to Wimbledon. Beaten in the Australian and French Open semi-finals this year, Swiatek can still dream of making it to the Wimbledon final for the first time. Disclaimer: This story has been published from a news agency feed with minimal edits to adhere to WION's style guide. The headline may have been changed to better reflect the content of the story or to make it more suitable for the WION audience.

The 23-year-old has dropped just 12 games in demolishing Vukic and Luca Nardi to make the last 32 at the All England Club.

Wimbledon 2025: World no. 1 Sinner strolls into round three, Swiatek survives scare to advance

World number one Aryna Sabalenka said Tuesday she was expecting another "great battle" with Iga Swiatek when the rivals meet in the semi-finals at Roland Garros.Top seed Sabalenka dispatched Olympic champion Zheng Qinwen 7-6 (7/3), 6-3 in the quarter-finals in Paris and next plays three-time defending champion Swiatek for a place in the final.Swiatek, the fifth seed, got past 13th-seeded Ukrainian Elina Svitolina 6-1, 7-5 to set up the mouthwatering match-up.Also Read - <a href="https://www.wionews.com/sports/neeraj-chopra-classic-javelin-throw-event-rescheduled-for-next-month-july-5-in-bengaluru-1748950919036">Neeraj Chopra Classic javelin throw event rescheduled for next month. Check date and details inside</a>The semi-final will be one between two players who know each other well, the pair having faced each other across the net 12 times with Swiatek leading the series 8-4.On clay, the Polish player has won five of their six meetings -- most recently in the 2024 finals in Rome and Madrid.Sabalenka's only win on clay was in the final in Madrid in 2023, when she edged Swiatek in three sets. And the Belarusian won their most recent clash -- a straight sets win on hard court in Cincinnati last October.The 27-year-old says she enjoys the rivalry with 24-year-old Swiatek, and the pair who have shared the world number one ranking between them for over three years have become closer of late."Yeah, I mean, before it wasn't any communication, any practices with her, but now we are getting better," said Sabalenka."We get along better, and we practice more often, and we know each other quite well. We've had a lot of great battles in the past."If it's going to be Iga, I'm super excited, and it's high-level matches. Yeah, I'm super excited to go out there and to fight and to do everything I need to get the win."<h2>‘Great rhythm’</h2> Meanwhile Swiatek revealed she has been practising with Sabalenka in the past two weeks since Rome."It's great always to practice with Aryna. She gives a great rhythm, and the practice will have quality, you know, so it was great," she said."I feel like we both know how we play, so it's not like you're going to find something extraordinary there."On Tuesday, Sabalenka fought back after struggling in the first set against Zheng, who had beaten her in the last eight on clay in Rome last month.Zheng broke and led 4-2 in the first set. But numerous unforced errors -- 31 in total -- allowed the Belarusian to come back.The second set was also tight before Sabalenka broke back to lead 4-3, taking advantage of her opponent's errors.Sabalenka converted her first match point on a poorly-controlled drop-shot from Zheng to advance to her 11th major semi-final overall, and her second in Paris following her run in 2023.A three-time Grand Slam winner -- at the Australian Open in 2023 and 2024 and the reigning US Open champion -- Sabalenka is chasing her sixth Grand Slam final berth.Zheng -- on a 10-match winning run since her Olympic gold in Paris -- blamed nervousness for her errors in her first Paris quarter-finals."In the first set I made a lot of, you know, easy mistakes. I give her the chance so easy," she said."I (was) really tight because I have so much hunger in (the) French Open, and then I think this can make my performance not (the) best."Today I don't even perform at 60, 70 percent."Disclaimer: This story has been published from a news agency feed with minimal edits to adhere to WION's style guide. The headline may have been changed to better reflect the content of the story or to make it more suitable for WION audience.

The semi-final will be one between two players who know each other well, the pair having faced each other across the net 12 times with Swiatek leading the series 8-4.

World number one Aryna Sabalenka said Tuesday she was expecting another "great battle" with Iga Swiatek when the rivals meet in the semi-finals at Roland Garros. Top seed Sabalenka dispatched Olympic champion Zheng Qinwen 7-6 (7/3), 6-3 in the quarter-finals in Paris and next plays three-time defending champion Swiatek for a place in the final. Swiatek, the fifth seed, got past 13th-seeded Ukrainian Elina Svitolina 6-1, 7-5 to set up the mouthwatering match-up. Also Read - Neeraj Chopra Classic javelin throw event rescheduled for next month. Check date and details inside The semi-final will be one between two players who know each other well, the pair having faced each other across the net 12 times with Swiatek leading the series 8-4. On clay, the Polish player has won five of their six meetings -- most recently in the 2024 finals in Rome and Madrid. Sabalenka's only win on clay was in the final in Madrid in 2023, when she edged Swiatek in three sets. And the Belarusian won their most recent clash -- a straight sets win on hard court in Cincinnati last October. The 27-year-old says she enjoys the rivalry with 24-year-old Swiatek, and the pair who have shared the world number one ranking between them for over three years have become closer of late. "Yeah, I mean, before it wasn't any communication, any practices with her, but now we are getting better," said Sabalenka. "We get along better, and we practice more often, and we know each other quite well. We've had a lot of great battles in the past. "If it's going to be Iga, I'm super excited, and it's high-level matches. Yeah, I'm super excited to go out there and to fight and to do everything I need to get the win." ‘Great rhythm’ Meanwhile Swiatek revealed she has been practising with Sabalenka in the past two weeks since Rome. "It's great always to practice with Aryna. She gives a great rhythm, and the practice will have quality, you know, so it was great," she said. "I feel like we both know how we play, so it's not like you're going to find something extraordinary there." On Tuesday, Sabalenka fought back after struggling in the first set against Zheng, who had beaten her in the last eight on clay in Rome last month. Zheng broke and led 4-2 in the first set. But numerous unforced errors -- 31 in total -- allowed the Belarusian to come back. The second set was also tight before Sabalenka broke back to lead 4-3, taking advantage of her opponent's errors. Sabalenka converted her first match point on a poorly-controlled drop-shot from Zheng to advance to her 11th major semi-final overall, and her second in Paris following her run in 2023. A three-time Grand Slam winner -- at the Australian Open in 2023 and 2024 and the reigning US Open champion -- Sabalenka is chasing her sixth Grand Slam final berth. Zheng -- on a 10-match winning run since her Olympic gold in Paris -- blamed nervousness for her errors in her first Paris quarter-finals. "In the first set I made a lot of, you know, easy mistakes. I give her the chance so easy," she said. "I (was) really tight because I have so much hunger in (the) French Open, and then I think this can make my performance not (the) best. "Today I don't even perform at 60, 70 percent." Disclaimer: This story has been published from a news agency feed with minimal edits to adhere to WION's style guide. The headline may have been changed to better reflect the content of the story or to make it more suitable for WION audience.

The semi-final will be one between two players who know each other well, the pair having faced each other across the net 12 times with Swiatek leading the series 8-4.

French Open 2025: Sabalenka, Swiatek set up blockbuster semi-final clash in women's singles

A look at eight legendary women who ruled Roland-Garros in the Open Era, from Chris Evert’s seven titles to Iga Swiatek recent streak. See who dominated the French Open across decades.

From Chris Evert to Justine Henin, 8 women with most French Open singles title

<a href="https://www.wionews.com/tags/iga-swiatek?page=2" rel="dofollow">Iga Swiatek</a> was dumped out of the Italian Open on Saturday after the reigning Rome champion suffered a shock 6-1, 7-5 defeat at the hands of Danielle Collins, as <a href="https://www.wionews.com/tags/jannik-sinner" rel="dofollow">Jannik Sinner</a> prepares for his return to action from a contested doping ban.
World number two Swiatek was hunting a fourth title at the Foro Italico but failed to get past the third round of the last major tournament before the French Open following an uncharacteristically bad display against unfancied Collins.
Veteran Collins, 31, will now face one of Elina Svitolina or fellow American Hailey Baptiste in the last 16 as the world number 35 hunts an unlikely second WTA 1000 title after winning in Miami last year.
"In my mind, I was kind of like, well, even though the last couple times we've played, she's beaten me, I've played some of my best tennis in those matches. So that gave me confidence," Collins told reporters.
Swiatek's early exit is a major shock as the Pole usually dominates her rivals on clay and has a hugely impressive record in the Italian capital.
The manner of her defeat is another worrying sign ahead of Roland Garros as she was also thrashed in straight sets by Coco Gauff in the semi-finals of the Madrid Open earlier this month.
Swiatek was barely recognisable from the player who has won four French Open titles, being broken four times in the first set and failing to impose herself at all on Collins, against whom she had previously won eight of nine meetings.
The 23-year-old's elimination opens up her side of the women's draw with Naomi Osaka, who could have been her opponent in the quarter-finals, taking on Marie Bouzkova later on Saturday.
Osaka, who is still finding form after a 15-month break from tennis, will face fifth seed Madison Keys in the last 16 if she gets past Bouzkova.
Jasmine Paolini delighted the Rome crowd by sweeping aside Ons Jabeur in straight sets to set up a last-16 clash with Jelena Ostapenko.
<h2><hl2>Sinner mania</hl2></h2>
Italian star Sinner will take partisan centre court packed with over 10,000 fans on Saturday evening against Argentina's Mariano Navone, hoping to shake off the cobwebs as he eyes a run at Roland Garros later this month.
The world number one said before his first training session in Rome that he was just hoping to get past his second round clash with Navone and see where his game is, after an enforced three months on the sidelines.
Sinner hasn't swung a racket in a tournament since claiming his third Grand Slam victory at the Australian Open in January, due to a suspension agreed with the World Anti-Doping Agency in February.
His rise to the top of the game in 2024, when he won eight titles including his first two Slams and the ATP Finals, was dogged by the controversy which followed his two positive tests for traces of clostebol in March last year.
Both WADA and the International Tennis Integrity Agency (ITIA), who initially cleared Sinner in August, accepted he was accidentally contaminated with the banned substance by his physiotherapist.
Italian fans on centre court were given cause to celebrate in the morning by Rome-born Matteo Berrettini beating Jacob Fearnley in straight sets, 6-4, 7-6 (7/0) in his first match at his home tournament in four years.
Former Wimbledon finalist Berrettini, who withdrew from the Madrid Open with the latest in a long line of abdominal injuries, will face Madrid champion Casper Ruud in the third round, with the Norwegian beating Alexander Bublik 6-4, 4-6, 6-3.
Andrey Rublev was dumped out at the first attempt by Hungary's Fabian Marozsan, to continue his poor form since winning in Dubai back in February.
Fourth seed Taylor Fritz also exited after going down 7-6 (7/4), 7-6 (7/3) to fellow American Marcos Giron.
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Swiatek's early exit is a major shock as the Pole usually dominates her rivals on clay and has a hugely impressive record in the Italian capital. Sports, Tennis

Iga Swiatek was dumped out of the Italian Open on Saturday after the reigning Rome champion suffered a shock 6-1, 7-5 defeat at the hands of Danielle Collins, as Jannik Sinner prepares for his return to action from a contested doping ban. World number two Swiatek was hunting a fourth title at the Foro Italico but failed to get past the third round of the last major tournament before the French Open following an uncharacteristically bad display against unfancied Collins. Veteran Collins, 31, will now face one of Elina Svitolina or fellow American Hailey Baptiste in the last 16 as the world number 35 hunts an unlikely second WTA 1000 title after winning in Miami last year. "In my mind, I was kind of like, well, even though the last couple times we've played, she's beaten me, I've played some of my best tennis in those matches. So that gave me confidence," Collins told reporters. Swiatek's early exit is a major shock as the Pole usually dominates her rivals on clay and has a hugely impressive record in the Italian capital. The manner of her defeat is another worrying sign ahead of Roland Garros as she was also thrashed in straight sets by Coco Gauff in the semi-finals of the Madrid Open earlier this month. Swiatek was barely recognisable from the player who has won four French Open titles, being broken four times in the first set and failing to impose herself at all on Collins, against whom she had previously won eight of nine meetings. The 23-year-old's elimination opens up her side of the women's draw with Naomi Osaka, who could have been her opponent in the quarter-finals, taking on Marie Bouzkova later on Saturday. Osaka, who is still finding form after a 15-month break from tennis, will face fifth seed Madison Keys in the last 16 if she gets past Bouzkova. Jasmine Paolini delighted the Rome crowd by sweeping aside Ons Jabeur in straight sets to set up a last-16 clash with Jelena Ostapenko. Sinner mania Italian star Sinner will take partisan centre court packed with over 10,000 fans on Saturday evening against Argentina's Mariano Navone, hoping to shake off the cobwebs as he eyes a run at Roland Garros later this month. The world number one said before his first training session in Rome that he was just hoping to get past his second round clash with Navone and see where his game is, after an enforced three months on the sidelines. Sinner hasn't swung a racket in a tournament since claiming his third Grand Slam victory at the Australian Open in January, due to a suspension agreed with the World Anti-Doping Agency in February. His rise to the top of the game in 2024, when he won eight titles including his first two Slams and the ATP Finals, was dogged by the controversy which followed his two positive tests for traces of clostebol in March last year. Both WADA and the International Tennis Integrity Agency (ITIA), who initially cleared Sinner in August, accepted he was accidentally contaminated with the banned substance by his physiotherapist. Italian fans on centre court were given cause to celebrate in the morning by Rome-born Matteo Berrettini beating Jacob Fearnley in straight sets, 6-4, 7-6 (7/0) in his first match at his home tournament in four years. Former Wimbledon finalist Berrettini, who withdrew from the Madrid Open with the latest in a long line of abdominal injuries, will face Madrid champion Casper Ruud in the third round, with the Norwegian beating Alexander Bublik 6-4, 4-6, 6-3. Andrey Rublev was dumped out at the first attempt by Hungary's Fabian Marozsan, to continue his poor form since winning in Dubai back in February. Fourth seed Taylor Fritz also exited after going down 7-6 (7/4), 7-6 (7/3) to fellow American Marcos Giron. Disclaimer: This story has been published from a news agency feed with minimal edits to adhere to WION's style guide. The headline may have been changed to better reflect the content of the story or to make it more suitable for the WION audience.

Iga Swiatek's Rome title defence ends early as Sinner set for hero's return

Iga Swiatek dismissed Elisabetta Cocciaretto in just 52 minutes as she opened her account at the Italian Open on Thursday.
World number two Swiatek came to Italy on the back of a demoralising straight-sets defeat to Coco Gauff in the semi-finals of the Madrid Open.
But the 23-year-old Pole dropped just a single game in winning 6-1, 6-0 against Italian Cocciaretto to move onto a third-round meeting with American Danielle Collins.
<h2>Iga Swiatek makes fast start</h2>
"I felt like the ball was kind of listening to me today and I had full control over the match, so it's always pretty comfortable to play a match like that," Swiatek said.
"You just need to continue the work you've been doing and not expect that it's going to happen more often."
Swiatek is a three-time winner of the Italian Open and is using the clay court tournament as a key step towards her defence of her French Open title, but she is yet to win a tournament this season.
In another second-round match, former world number one Naomi Osaka came from behind to overcome lucky loser Viktorija Golubic 2-6, 7-5, 6-1.
Sixth seed Jasmine Paolini, cheered on by her home crowd, was a comfortable 6-4, 6-3 winner against Lulu Sun of New Zealand and will face Ons Jabeur in round three after the Tunisian benefited from a walkover against Petra Kvitova.
American third seed Jessica Pegula eased into the third round with a 6-4, 6-2 victory over compatriot Ashlyn Krueger. She will next face Elise Mertens after the 25th seed Belgian beat Suzan Lamens in three sets.
Australian Open champion Madison Keys of the USA also progressed following a 7-6 (7/4), 6-1 win against France's Varvara Gracheva.
Madrid Open semi-finalist Elina Svitolina got underway with a win as she bested Jessica Bouzas Maneiro 6-4, 7-6 (7/2).
Men's world number one Jannik Sinner will make his return to competition after a three-month doping ban by facing Mariano Navone on Saturday after the Argentinian beat Federico Cina 6-3, 6-3 on Thursday.
ALSO READ | <a href="https://www.wionews.com/india-news/indo-pak-war-latest-news-we-are-proud-neeraj-chopra-reacts-on-indian-defence-forcesswift-reply-to-pakistani-attack-9049871" rel="dofollow noopener" target="_blank">Indo-Pak War | 'We are proud,' Neeraj Chopra reacts on Indian defence forces' swift reply to Pakistani attack</a>
Elsewhere in the men's draw, Hungarian Fabian Marozsan eliminated up-and-coming Brazilian teenager Joao Fonseca in straight sets.
Since earning his first Tour-level title in Buenos Aires in February, 18-year-old Fonseca has struggled on the red dirt in Europe with early exits at the Madrid Open and the challenger event in Estoril.
Italian showman Fabio Fognini bowed out of his home Masters event for the final time as the 37-year-old went down 6-2, 6-3 to Briton Jacob Fearnley.
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World number two Swiatek came to Italy on the back of a demoralising straight-sets defeat to Coco Gauff in the semi-finals of the Madrid Open. Tennis | Sports

Iga Swiatek dismissed Elisabetta Cocciaretto in just 52 minutes as she opened her account at the Italian Open on Thursday. World number two Swiatek came to Italy on the back of a demoralising straight-sets defeat to Coco Gauff in the semi-finals of the Madrid Open. But the 23-year-old Pole dropped just a single game in winning 6-1, 6-0 against Italian Cocciaretto to move onto a third-round meeting with American Danielle Collins. Iga Swiatek makes fast start "I felt like the ball was kind of listening to me today and I had full control over the match, so it's always pretty comfortable to play a match like that," Swiatek said. "You just need to continue the work you've been doing and not expect that it's going to happen more often." Swiatek is a three-time winner of the Italian Open and is using the clay court tournament as a key step towards her defence of her French Open title, but she is yet to win a tournament this season. In another second-round match, former world number one Naomi Osaka came from behind to overcome lucky loser Viktorija Golubic 2-6, 7-5, 6-1. Sixth seed Jasmine Paolini, cheered on by her home crowd, was a comfortable 6-4, 6-3 winner against Lulu Sun of New Zealand and will face Ons Jabeur in round three after the Tunisian benefited from a walkover against Petra Kvitova. American third seed Jessica Pegula eased into the third round with a 6-4, 6-2 victory over compatriot Ashlyn Krueger. She will next face Elise Mertens after the 25th seed Belgian beat Suzan Lamens in three sets. Australian Open champion Madison Keys of the USA also progressed following a 7-6 (7/4), 6-1 win against France's Varvara Gracheva. Madrid Open semi-finalist Elina Svitolina got underway with a win as she bested Jessica Bouzas Maneiro 6-4, 7-6 (7/2). Men's world number one Jannik Sinner will make his return to competition after a three-month doping ban by facing Mariano Navone on Saturday after the Argentinian beat Federico Cina 6-3, 6-3 on Thursday. ALSO READ | Indo-Pak War | 'We are proud,' Neeraj Chopra reacts on Indian defence forces' swift reply to Pakistani attack Elsewhere in the men's draw, Hungarian Fabian Marozsan eliminated up-and-coming Brazilian teenager Joao Fonseca in straight sets. Since earning his first Tour-level title in Buenos Aires in February, 18-year-old Fonseca has struggled on the red dirt in Europe with early exits at the Madrid Open and the challenger event in Estoril. Italian showman Fabio Fognini bowed out of his home Masters event for the final time as the 37-year-old went down 6-2, 6-3 to Briton Jacob Fearnley. Disclaimer: This story has been published from a news agency feed with minimal edits to adhere to WION's style guide. The headline may have been changed to better reflect the content of the story or to make it more suitable for WION audience.

Italian Open: Iga Swiatek makes fast start, beats Elisabetta Cocciaretto in 52 minutes

World number one <a href="https://www.wionews.com/tags/aryna-sabalenka">Aryna Sabalenka</a> cruised into the Stuttgart Open semi-finals on Saturday while two-time champion <a href="https://www.wionews.com/tags/iga-swiatek">Iga Swiatek</a> lost to Jelena Ostapenko for the sixth time in as many meetings.
Sabalenka reached the last eight without striking a ball following a bye and walkover, and took time to find her rhythm against Elise Mertens before wrapping up a 6-4, 6-1 victory.&nbsp;Mertens broke for a 4-3 lead in the opening set but Sabalenka hit back right away and reeled off nine of the final 10 games to power into a semi-final showdown with Jasmine Paolini.
"Finally I played my match," Sabalenka said. "Never happened before that I play the first match on Saturday... Happy with the variety of the game I brought today on the court. Yeah, I think it was very decent game."
"I had a week to practice on these courts, so I felt pretty comfortable," she added.
There was a strange incident in the first set when Sabalenka took a photograph of a disputed ball mark after disagreeing with an "out" call on her shot when she was break point down.&nbsp;Sabalenka received a warning for unsportsmanlike conduct from the chair umpire but quickly regrouped to take control of the match, putting the distraction to one side.
"When I gave her a handshake, there was a very interesting look and a very strong handshake. Never had it before," Sabalenka said after her post-match exchange with Miriam Bley.
Sabalenka will next play fifth seed Paolini after the Italian swept aside fourth-ranked Coco Gauff 6-4, 6-3. Sabalenka beat Paolini in straight sets en route to the title in Miami last month.
A beaten finalist three times in a row from 2021 to 2023, Sabalenka has never won in Stuttgart.&nbsp; Ostapenko, ranked 24 in the world, won 6-3, 3-6, 6-2 in a clash of past and present French Open champions.&nbsp;Swiatek has now lost all six matches against the Latvian, with Saturday's defeat the first on clay.&nbsp;
Swiatek came into the match with an 11-1 record on the Stuttgart clay, but Ostapenko won the first four games and broke Swiatek's serve three times to win the opening set.&nbsp;
The Pole fought back to send the match to a deciding set, but Ostapenko regained control, winning 12 of the opening 15 points on the way to victory.&nbsp;
Ostapenko will face Russian Ekaterina Alexandrova in the semi-finals on Sunday, with the final on Monday.&nbsp;Alexandrova continued her underdog run by dumping out third seed Jessica Pegula in straight sets, 6-0, 6-4.
Pegula reached the final at the Miami Open in March and won the Charleston Open earlier in April but did not have an answer against her 22nd-ranked opponent, who knocked out Mirra Andreeva in the last 16.&nbsp;
After failing to win a game in the first set, Pegula saved three match points at 5-2 down in the second. She fought off two more at 5-4 but could not hold on.&nbsp;
<h2>Alcaraz to face Rune in Barcelona Open final</h2>
<a href="https://www.wionews.com/tags/carlos-alcaraz">Carlos Alcaraz</a> cruised into his third Barcelona Open final with a 6-2, 6-4 victory over Arthur Fils on a breezy Saturday and will face Holger Rune, who demolished Karen Khachanov.&nbsp;
Eight days earlier, in the Monte Carlo quarterfinals, Frenchman Fils had won the first set and forced Alcaraz to fight for victory.&nbsp;On Saturday, the Spaniard took control from the start, breaking serve in the third and fifth games of the opening set as Fils struggled with the swirling conditions.
"I started the match really focused on my game and being in a good position every time to hit the right shots," Alcaraz said after the win.
Alcaraz broke again in the third game of the second set and only stuttered when he squandered his first two match points with a double fault and a wild drive, before clinching victory.
After winning in Monte Carlo last week, Alcaraz remains perfect on clay this season. He has not lost in Barcelona since 2021. He won the tournament in 2022 and 2023 before missing last year's event with an arm injury.&nbsp;
"Being in a final in Barcelona again means a lot in front of my people, in front of my friends," Alcaraz said.
Earlier, world number 13 Rune outclassed Khachanov 6-3, 6-2.&nbsp; The 21-year-old Dane did not face a break point in the first set, but broke to love in the seventh game and broke again in the ninth.&nbsp;Khachanov, ranked 27th, suffered another break in the second game of the second set, with Rune consolidating for a 3-0 lead.
<h2 class="txt-title">Zverev sets up birthday bash with Shelton in Munich</h2>
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<a href="https://www.wionews.com/tags/alexander-zverev">Alexander Zverev</a> will face Ben Shelton in the Munich ATP final on his 28th birthday, after a straight-sets win over Hungarian Fabian Marozsan on Saturday.
Zverev, the top seed on home soil in Munich, won 7-6 (7/3), 6-3, as he targets a third title at a tournament he won in 2017 and 2018.
"It was a pretty good match. I felt calmer on the court, only had a weak game in the first set," said the third-ranked Zverev.&nbsp;"The entire week has been amazing... and hopefully I can have another great day tomorrow."
The final is the 38th of Zverev's career and first since he lost to Jannik Sinner at the&nbsp;Australian Open&nbsp;in January.&nbsp;Zverev broke early in the opening set to run out to a 2-0 lead, but was broken back on the way to a tie-break, which the German dominated.
Marozsan fought hard but was pushed into repeated errors by Zverev, who increasingly had the home fans on his side.&nbsp;The 77th-ranked Marozsan fought off two match points but could not do so a third time, allowing Zverev to reach Sunday's final.&nbsp;
Earlier on Saturday, American world number 15 Shelton came from a set down to beat Argentine Francisco Cerundolo 2-6, 7-6 (9/7), 6-4.&nbsp;Outclassed in the opening set, the 22-year-old American's fightback began in the second with an early break.&nbsp;
Cerundolo, ranked 22nd in the world, hit back to force a tie-break, but Shelton won it to level the match.&nbsp; The players exchanged breaks to open the third set before Shelton broke again in the last game to pinch victory and reach the fourth ATP final of his career.&nbsp;
Shelton said after the match he was still working to improve on clay.&nbsp; "Not everything is straightforward and perfect on the clay. You're gonna get broken more... but you can also break more," said Shelton.
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Tennis, Sports: Sabalenka reached the last eight without striking a ball following a bye and walkover, and took time to find her rhythm against Elise Mertens

World number one Aryna Sabalenka cruised into the Stuttgart Open semi-finals on Saturday while two-time champion Iga Swiatek lost to Jelena Ostapenko for the sixth time in as many meetings. Sabalenka reached the last eight without striking a ball following a bye and walkover, and took time to find her rhythm against Elise Mertens before wrapping up a 6-4, 6-1 victory. Mertens broke for a 4-3 lead in the opening set but Sabalenka hit back right away and reeled off nine of the final 10 games to power into a semi-final showdown with Jasmine Paolini. "Finally I played my match," Sabalenka said. "Never happened before that I play the first match on Saturday... Happy with the variety of the game I brought today on the court. Yeah, I think it was very decent game." "I had a week to practice on these courts, so I felt pretty comfortable," she added. There was a strange incident in the first set when Sabalenka took a photograph of a disputed ball mark after disagreeing with an "out" call on her shot when she was break point down. Sabalenka received a warning for unsportsmanlike conduct from the chair umpire but quickly regrouped to take control of the match, putting the distraction to one side. "When I gave her a handshake, there was a very interesting look and a very strong handshake. Never had it before," Sabalenka said after her post-match exchange with Miriam Bley. Sabalenka will next play fifth seed Paolini after the Italian swept aside fourth-ranked Coco Gauff 6-4, 6-3. Sabalenka beat Paolini in straight sets en route to the title in Miami last month. A beaten finalist three times in a row from 2021 to 2023, Sabalenka has never won in Stuttgart. Ostapenko, ranked 24 in the world, won 6-3, 3-6, 6-2 in a clash of past and present French Open champions. Swiatek has now lost all six matches against the Latvian, with Saturday's defeat the first on clay. Swiatek came into the match with an 11-1 record on the Stuttgart clay, but Ostapenko won the first four games and broke Swiatek's serve three times to win the opening set. The Pole fought back to send the match to a deciding set, but Ostapenko regained control, winning 12 of the opening 15 points on the way to victory. Ostapenko will face Russian Ekaterina Alexandrova in the semi-finals on Sunday, with the final on Monday. Alexandrova continued her underdog run by dumping out third seed Jessica Pegula in straight sets, 6-0, 6-4. Pegula reached the final at the Miami Open in March and won the Charleston Open earlier in April but did not have an answer against her 22nd-ranked opponent, who knocked out Mirra Andreeva in the last 16. After failing to win a game in the first set, Pegula saved three match points at 5-2 down in the second. She fought off two more at 5-4 but could not hold on. Alcaraz to face Rune in Barcelona Open final Carlos Alcaraz cruised into his third Barcelona Open final with a 6-2, 6-4 victory over Arthur Fils on a breezy Saturday and will face Holger Rune, who demolished Karen Khachanov. Eight days earlier, in the Monte Carlo quarterfinals, Frenchman Fils had won the first set and forced Alcaraz to fight for victory. On Saturday, the Spaniard took control from the start, breaking serve in the third and fifth games of the opening set as Fils struggled with the swirling conditions. "I started the match really focused on my game and being in a good position every time to hit the right shots," Alcaraz said after the win. Alcaraz broke again in the third game of the second set and only stuttered when he squandered his first two match points with a double fault and a wild drive, before clinching victory. After winning in Monte Carlo last week, Alcaraz remains perfect on clay this season. He has not lost in Barcelona since 2021. He won the tournament in 2022 and 2023 before missing last year's event with an arm injury. "Being in a final in Barcelona again means a lot in front of my people, in front of my friends," Alcaraz said. Earlier, world number 13 Rune outclassed Khachanov 6-3, 6-2. The 21-year-old Dane did not face a break point in the first set, but broke to love in the seventh game and broke again in the ninth. Khachanov, ranked 27th, suffered another break in the second game of the second set, with Rune consolidating for a 3-0 lead. Zverev sets up birthday bash with Shelton in Munich Alexander Zverev will face Ben Shelton in the Munich ATP final on his 28th birthday, after a straight-sets win over Hungarian Fabian Marozsan on Saturday. Zverev, the top seed on home soil in Munich, won 7-6 (7/3), 6-3, as he targets a third title at a tournament he won in 2017 and 2018. "It was a pretty good match. I felt calmer on the court, only had a weak game in the first set," said the third-ranked Zverev. "The entire week has been amazing... and hopefully I can have another great day tomorrow." The final is the 38th of Zverev's career and first since he lost to Jannik Sinner at the Australian Open in January. Zverev broke early in the opening set to run out to a 2-0 lead, but was broken back on the way to a tie-break, which the German dominated. Marozsan fought hard but was pushed into repeated errors by Zverev, who increasingly had the home fans on his side. The 77th-ranked Marozsan fought off two match points but could not do so a third time, allowing Zverev to reach Sunday's final. Earlier on Saturday, American world number 15 Shelton came from a set down to beat Argentine Francisco Cerundolo 2-6, 7-6 (9/7), 6-4. Outclassed in the opening set, the 22-year-old American's fightback began in the second with an early break. Cerundolo, ranked 22nd in the world, hit back to force a tie-break, but Shelton won it to level the match. The players exchanged breaks to open the third set before Shelton broke again in the last game to pinch victory and reach the fourth ATP final of his career. Shelton said after the match he was still working to improve on clay. "Not everything is straightforward and perfect on the clay. You're gonna get broken more... but you can also break more," said Shelton. Disclaimer: This story has been published from a news agency feed with minimal edits to adhere to WION's style guide. The headline may have been changed to better reflect the content of the story or to make it more suitable for WION audience.

Aryna Sabalenka reaches Stuttgart semis as Ostapenko extends Swiatek mastery

Alexandra Eala, a 19-year-old wildcard from the Philippines, produced a huge upset at the Miami Open on Wednesday, defeating world number two Iga Swiatek 6-2,7-5 to reach the semi-finals.<o:p></o:p>
Ranked 140th in the world, Eala, the first woman from her country to reach the last eight of a WTA 1000 tournament, took advantage of an unusually poor display from Swiatek, keeping her focus as she fought back from 4-2 down in the second set.<o:p></o:p>
Eala broke the Pole for the eighth and final time when Swiatek was serving to stay in the match at 6-5 down in the second set and looked stunned as she struggled to contain her emotions.<o:p></o:p>
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"I'm just in disbelief right now. It's so surreal," she said on court. "I'm so happy and so blessed to be able to compete with such a player on this stage," said Eala, who has now beaten three grand slam winners on her route to the last four at Miami -- having dealt with Jelena Ostapenko and Madison Keys before upsetting four-time French Open champion Swiatek.<o:p></o:p>
"I'm trusting my shots and I have a great team to tell me that I can do it," she said.<o:p></o:p>
Eala moved to Spain at the age of 13 to join Rafael Nadal's academy in Mallorca and Toni Nadal, the Spaniard's uncle and former coach, was in her box for the match.<o:p></o:p>
"It meant a lot that he showed up here. It showed the confidence he had in me and the confidence the academy had in me," she said. "Just because I won this match or the one before doesn't make the next one any less tough. If anything it will be more tough, so it will take everything that I have," said Eala.<o:p></o:p>
Swiatek will look forward to moving on to the clay season after conceding that she had been far from her usual level.<o:p></o:p>
"I'm sure I wasn't playing my best game and I felt like my forehand collapsed a little, so it wasn't comfortable and Alexandra, for sure, used her chances and pushed me, so for sure she deserves to win this match," she said. "I don't want to think about this too long. It's nice to learn from losses but there are other things ahead and I am happy we are going to play on clay."<o:p></o:p>
Eala will face Jessica Pegula in Thursday's semi-final after the American outlasted&nbsp; Britain's Emma Raducanu to win 6-4, 6-7 (3/7), 6-2.<o:p></o:p>
Raducanu was 5-3 up and serving for the set in the second but was broken and then had a lengthy medical time-out where she appeared to be being treated for over-heating.<o:p></o:p>
She returned and won the tie-break but struggled to regain her momentum in the third set where Pegula broke early and never lost control. The American hit 48 winners in the match.<o:p></o:p>
"It was tough," said Pegula, "I played a good first set then she started moving the ball really well and serving good. I just wanted to come out in the third, really, strong and quick and kind of jump on her," she said.<o:p></o:p>
"I want to make it to that final so bad, so I will give it another shot tomorrow," she added.
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Sports, Tennis: Eala moved to Spain at the age of 13 to join Rafael Nadal's academy in Mallorca and Toni Nadal, the Spaniard's uncle was in her box for the match.

Alexandra Eala, a 19-year-old wildcard from the Philippines, produced a huge upset at the Miami Open on Wednesday, defeating world number two Iga Swiatek 6-2,7-5 to reach the semi-finals. Ranked 140th in the world, Eala, the first woman from her country to reach the last eight of a WTA 1000 tournament, took advantage of an unusually poor display from Swiatek, keeping her focus as she fought back from 4-2 down in the second set. Eala broke the Pole for the eighth and final time when Swiatek was serving to stay in the match at 6-5 down in the second set and looked stunned as she struggled to contain her emotions. Also read | NBA: LeBron James' buzzer-beater wins it for Lakers against Indiana Pacers "I'm just in disbelief right now. It's so surreal," she said on court. "I'm so happy and so blessed to be able to compete with such a player on this stage," said Eala, who has now beaten three grand slam winners on her route to the last four at Miami -- having dealt with Jelena Ostapenko and Madison Keys before upsetting four-time French Open champion Swiatek. "I'm trusting my shots and I have a great team to tell me that I can do it," she said. Eala moved to Spain at the age of 13 to join Rafael Nadal's academy in Mallorca and Toni Nadal, the Spaniard's uncle and former coach, was in her box for the match. "It meant a lot that he showed up here. It showed the confidence he had in me and the confidence the academy had in me," she said. "Just because I won this match or the one before doesn't make the next one any less tough. If anything it will be more tough, so it will take everything that I have," said Eala. Swiatek will look forward to moving on to the clay season after conceding that she had been far from her usual level. "I'm sure I wasn't playing my best game and I felt like my forehand collapsed a little, so it wasn't comfortable and Alexandra, for sure, used her chances and pushed me, so for sure she deserves to win this match," she said. "I don't want to think about this too long. It's nice to learn from losses but there are other things ahead and I am happy we are going to play on clay." Eala will face Jessica Pegula in Thursday's semi-final after the American outlasted Britain's Emma Raducanu to win 6-4, 6-7 (3/7), 6-2. Raducanu was 5-3 up and serving for the set in the second but was broken and then had a lengthy medical time-out where she appeared to be being treated for over-heating. She returned and won the tie-break but struggled to regain her momentum in the third set where Pegula broke early and never lost control. The American hit 48 winners in the match. "It was tough," said Pegula, "I played a good first set then she started moving the ball really well and serving good. I just wanted to come out in the third, really, strong and quick and kind of jump on her," she said. "I want to make it to that final so bad, so I will give it another shot tomorrow," she added. Disclaimer: This story has been published from a news agency feed with minimal edits for grammar and punctuation. The headline may have been changed to better reflect the content of the story or to make it more suitable for WION audience.

Philippines teen Eala stuns world number 2 Swiatek to reach Miami Open semis

Three-time defending <a href="https://www.wionews.com/tags/qatar-open">Qatar Open</a> champion <a href="https://www.wionews.com/tags/iga-swiatek">Iga Swiatek</a> suffered a crushing 6-3, 6-1 defeat by Jelena Ostapenko in the semi-finals on Friday, her fifth loss in as many meetings with the mercurial Latvian.
Swiatek entered the semi-finals carrying a 15-match winning streak in Doha, having clinched the title in each of the last three editions.
The five-time Grand Slam champion was looking to become the first player since 2011 &ndash; and just second this century &ndash; to win the same WTA tournament four years in a row but Ostapenko had other ideas.
Ostapenko, the 2017 <a href="https://www.wionews.com/tags/roland-garros">Roland Garros</a> champion, became the first player to defeat Swiatek on five occasions.&nbsp;The world number 37 fired 24 winners against just 15 unforced errors, brushing aside the second-ranked Pole after just 70 minutes of play.
Ostapenko is through to the third WTA 1000 final of her career and is searching for her first title at that level, having lost on her two previous attempts in Doha 2016 and Miami 2018.
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She will face Amanda Anisimova in Saturday's championship match after the American defeated Ekaterina Alexandrova 6-3, 6-3 to reach her second WTA 1000 final.
"I feel like this court has a special energy and it was always helping me. Everything started for me on this court (when I reached the final in 2016)," said Ostapenko.
"Today when I went on the court I was pretty confident that I could beat her because we played a lot of matches and I kind of know how to play against her. I was just focusing on myself and knew what I had to do. I'm really happy with the way I'm handling my emotions this week and I'm so happy to be in the final."
A blistering start from Ostapenko saw the Latvian unleash a forehand winner to break Swiatek in the opening game of the contest and she surrendered just one point on her way to a 2-0 lead.
Ostapenko got her hands on three set points on the Swiatek serve at 5-3 and converted her third opportunity to scoop the first set in 35 minutes.
The start of the second set followed a similar pattern to the first, with Ostapenko punishing Swiatek's serve, and attacking any short ball that came her way.
As the match clock hit one hour, Ostapenko was already up a set and 4-0 and cruising. Swiatek halted the momentum by getting one of the breaks back but her comeback attempt was short-lived as she dropped serve again the following game en route to a hefty defeat.
<h2>'Knew what to expect'&nbsp;</h2>
Ostapenko limited Swiatek to under 50 percent in points won behind the first or second serve and logged seven return winners against the Pole.
"Obviously I was preparing for the match, and I pretty much knew what to expect from her," said Ostapenko of her success on return against Swiatek.
"I don't know, sometimes I know where the ball's coming, but sometimes I'm just going with my feelings and my instincts, so that helps me."
Another streak was broken on Friday as Anisimova, 23, ended Alexandrova's eight-match unbeaten run to advance to the final.&nbsp;Alexandrova ousted two top-five players in Aryna Sabalenka and Jessica Pegula on her way to the Doha semi-finals, and was coming off of a title run in Linz earlier this month.
Anisimova broke twice to open up an early 4-0 gap and it took Alexandrova 22 minutes before she finally got on the board.&nbsp;The big-hitting American bagged the opening set in 43 minutes and built a 4-1 lead in the second before securing passage to the fifth WTA final of her career. &nbsp;
Anisimova saved nine of the 10 break points she faced during the match to set up an all-unseeded showdown against Ostapenko.
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Sports, Tennis: Iga was looking to become the first player since 2011 – and just second this century – to win the same WTA tournament four years in a row but Jelena had other ideas

Three-time defending Qatar Open champion Iga Swiatek suffered a crushing 6-3, 6-1 defeat by Jelena Ostapenko in the semi-finals on Friday, her fifth loss in as many meetings with the mercurial Latvian. Swiatek entered the semi-finals carrying a 15-match winning streak in Doha, having clinched the title in each of the last three editions. The five-time Grand Slam champion was looking to become the first player since 2011 – and just second this century – to win the same WTA tournament four years in a row but Ostapenko had other ideas. Ostapenko, the 2017 Roland Garros champion, became the first player to defeat Swiatek on five occasions. The world number 37 fired 24 winners against just 15 unforced errors, brushing aside the second-ranked Pole after just 70 minutes of play. Ostapenko is through to the third WTA 1000 final of her career and is searching for her first title at that level, having lost on her two previous attempts in Doha 2016 and Miami 2018. Also Read: Mitoma & Minteh’s magic inspires Brighton to dominating win over Chelsea She will face Amanda Anisimova in Saturday's championship match after the American defeated Ekaterina Alexandrova 6-3, 6-3 to reach her second WTA 1000 final. "I feel like this court has a special energy and it was always helping me. Everything started for me on this court (when I reached the final in 2016)," said Ostapenko. "Today when I went on the court I was pretty confident that I could beat her because we played a lot of matches and I kind of know how to play against her. I was just focusing on myself and knew what I had to do. I'm really happy with the way I'm handling my emotions this week and I'm so happy to be in the final." A blistering start from Ostapenko saw the Latvian unleash a forehand winner to break Swiatek in the opening game of the contest and she surrendered just one point on her way to a 2-0 lead. Ostapenko got her hands on three set points on the Swiatek serve at 5-3 and converted her third opportunity to scoop the first set in 35 minutes. The start of the second set followed a similar pattern to the first, with Ostapenko punishing Swiatek's serve, and attacking any short ball that came her way. As the match clock hit one hour, Ostapenko was already up a set and 4-0 and cruising. Swiatek halted the momentum by getting one of the breaks back but her comeback attempt was short-lived as she dropped serve again the following game en route to a hefty defeat. 'Knew what to expect' Ostapenko limited Swiatek to under 50 percent in points won behind the first or second serve and logged seven return winners against the Pole. "Obviously I was preparing for the match, and I pretty much knew what to expect from her," said Ostapenko of her success on return against Swiatek. "I don't know, sometimes I know where the ball's coming, but sometimes I'm just going with my feelings and my instincts, so that helps me." Another streak was broken on Friday as Anisimova, 23, ended Alexandrova's eight-match unbeaten run to advance to the final. Alexandrova ousted two top-five players in Aryna Sabalenka and Jessica Pegula on her way to the Doha semi-finals, and was coming off of a title run in Linz earlier this month. Anisimova broke twice to open up an early 4-0 gap and it took Alexandrova 22 minutes before she finally got on the board. The big-hitting American bagged the opening set in 43 minutes and built a 4-1 lead in the second before securing passage to the fifth WTA final of her career. Anisimova saved nine of the 10 break points she faced during the match to set up an all-unseeded showdown against Ostapenko. Disclaimer: This story has been published from a news agency feed with minimal edits to adhere to WION's style guide. The headline may have been changed to better reflect the content of the story or to make it more suitable for WION audience.

Qatar Open: Ostapenko keeps it perfect against Swiatek to reach final

Three-time defending champion Iga Swiatek advanced to the semi-finals of the WTA Qatar Open on Thursday with a straight sets win over last year's runner-up Elena Rybakina. Second-seed Swiatek staved off a fightback from the fifth-seeded Kazakh in the second set to win through 6-2, 7-5.<o:p></o:p>
Ekaterina Alexandrova continued her impressive form against sixth-seed Jessica Pegula 4-6, 6-1, 6-1 having eliminated world number one Aryna Sabalenka in the second round.<o:p></o:p>
After the exits of Rybakina and Pegula, Swiatek is the last survivor among the Doha seeds. <o:p></o:p>
"I'm super happy and proud of myself, in the second set I felt she lifted her level," said Swiatek, who next plays either Tunisia's 35th ranked Ons Jabeur, a former world number two, or 37th-ranked Jelena Ostapenko of Latvia.<o:p></o:p>
"They have totally different game styles. I need to be prepared for some tricky shots, but I have some myself," added five-time Grand Slam winner Swiatek who is bidding for a 23rd WTA title.<o:p></o:p>
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Against Rybakina, Swiatek easily won the first set in just over half an hour after breaking her rival's serve twice.&nbsp;But the Pole was broken at the start of the second and struggled to catch up for a long time, missing five break points before finally finding the opening to get back to 4-4. <o:p></o:p>
A break at 6-5 in favour of Swiatek, sealed by a double fault from Rybakina, ensured the Pole won the game.<o:p></o:p>
Earlier Alexandrova, ranked 26th, extended her winning run to eight matches having won the tournament in Linz, Austria this month.<o:p></o:p>
The Russian struggled in the first set against her fifth-ranked opponent, saving six of eight break points, and paying for four double faults. <o:p></o:p>
But she took control thereafter allowing her opponent just two games to ease through for a 2-1 record in their third meeting.<o:p></o:p>
"I just play every single match and every single point and I don't think about the future," said the 30-year-old, who is bidding for a sixth career title. <o:p></o:p>
She next meets either Ukraine's Marta Kostyuk or American Amanda Anisimova for a place in the final.<o:p></o:p>
"It's step by step and I am glad that policy is working out as I feel amazing. Being in semis is just great.<o:p></o:p>
"When I saw the draw I thought maybe I will not get very far. But overall so far played great matches here...hope it continues."
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Sports, Tennis: Alexandrova continued her impressive form against sixth-seed Jessica Pegula 4-6, 6-1, 6-1 having eliminated world number one Aryna Sabalenka in the second round.

Three-time defending champion Iga Swiatek advanced to the semi-finals of the WTA Qatar Open on Thursday with a straight sets win over last year's runner-up Elena Rybakina. Second-seed Swiatek staved off a fightback from the fifth-seeded Kazakh in the second set to win through 6-2, 7-5. Ekaterina Alexandrova continued her impressive form against sixth-seed Jessica Pegula 4-6, 6-1, 6-1 having eliminated world number one Aryna Sabalenka in the second round. After the exits of Rybakina and Pegula, Swiatek is the last survivor among the Doha seeds. "I'm super happy and proud of myself, in the second set I felt she lifted her level," said Swiatek, who next plays either Tunisia's 35th ranked Ons Jabeur, a former world number two, or 37th-ranked Jelena Ostapenko of Latvia. "They have totally different game styles. I need to be prepared for some tricky shots, but I have some myself," added five-time Grand Slam winner Swiatek who is bidding for a 23rd WTA title. Also read | Exclusive: Jyoti sets sights on FIH Pro League 2024/25 after HIL success Against Rybakina, Swiatek easily won the first set in just over half an hour after breaking her rival's serve twice. But the Pole was broken at the start of the second and struggled to catch up for a long time, missing five break points before finally finding the opening to get back to 4-4. A break at 6-5 in favour of Swiatek, sealed by a double fault from Rybakina, ensured the Pole won the game. Earlier Alexandrova, ranked 26th, extended her winning run to eight matches having won the tournament in Linz, Austria this month. The Russian struggled in the first set against her fifth-ranked opponent, saving six of eight break points, and paying for four double faults. But she took control thereafter allowing her opponent just two games to ease through for a 2-1 record in their third meeting. "I just play every single match and every single point and I don't think about the future," said the 30-year-old, who is bidding for a sixth career title. She next meets either Ukraine's Marta Kostyuk or American Amanda Anisimova for a place in the final. "It's step by step and I am glad that policy is working out as I feel amazing. Being in semis is just great. "When I saw the draw I thought maybe I will not get very far. But overall so far played great matches here...hope it continues." Disclaimer: This story has been published from a news agency feed with minimal edits to adhere to WION's style guide. The headline may have been changed to better reflect the content of the story or to make it more suitable for WION audience.

Tennis: Defending champion Iga Swiatek cruises into Qatar Open semis

Three-time defending Qatar Open champion <a href="https://www.wionews.com/search?title=Iga+Swiatek" rel="dofollow">Iga Swiatek</a> scraped her way past Czech youngster Linda Noskova on Wednesday to set up a quarter-final clash with last year's runner-up&nbsp;<a href="https://www.wionews.com/search?title=Elena+Rybakina" rel="dofollow">Elena Rybakina</a>.
Swiatek dropped a set in Doha for the first time since 2022 -- ending a run of 25 wins in a row -- but recovered to advance 6-7 (1/7), 6-4, 6-4 and extend her winning streak at the tournament to 14 matches.
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The five-time Grand Slam champion will take on 2022 Wimbledon winner Elena Rybakina on Thursday for a place in the semi-finals. Swiatek beat Rybakina in straight sets in the final 12 months ago.
The Pole's reign looked in jeopardy when the 20-year-old Noskova, a semi-finalist in Abu Dhabi last week, dominated a first set tie-break after being unable to capitalise on five break points.
Swiatek, without a title since the French Open in June, broke to go 3-2 up in the second set. Noskova immediately hit back, but the second seed responded in kind to regain her advantage.
Noskova had a break point as her opponent served for the set, but Swiatek kept her cool to force a decider.
Swiatek won the first two games of the final set before Noskova reeled off the next three for a 3-2 edge, and the Pole was wobbling in the eighth game.
However, from 0-30 down on her serve, she rattled off six straight points to hold and then land the crucial break with a forehand into the open court.
Swiatek closed out the victory in the following game despite winning fewer points than Noskova overall.
Rybakina progressed earlier in the day with a 7-6 (7/1), 6-2 win over Slovakia's Rebecca Sramkova.
The fifth seed from Kazakhstan battled inconsistency in the first set after racing into a 3-0 lead, failing to convert three set points in the 10th game before finally taking charge in the tie-break.
Former Wimbledon champion Rybakina broke world number 46 Sramkova to start the second set and won the first four games as she wrapped up the victory with minimal fuss.
Rybakina's coach Stefano Vukov&nbsp;remains banned following the conclusion of an investigation, the WTA confirmed on Tuesday.
He was provisionally suspended last month for allegedly breaching the tour's code of conduct.
<h2>Paolini, Sabalenka ousted</h2>
<a href="https://www.wionews.com/tags/jasmine-paolini">Jasmine Paolini</a> became the latest seed to fall on Wednesday as the fourth-ranked Italian was blown away 6-2, 6-2 by the mercurial Jelena Ostapenko.
Ostapenko, who had not won back-to-back matches since Wimbledon until this week, will play Ons Jabeur or Sofia Kenin for a place in the semi-finals.
Four of the top 10 seeds fell on Tuesday as world number one Aryna Sabalenka, Coco Gauff, Zheng Qinwen and Paula Badosa all exited in the second round. Sixth seed Jessica Pegula avoided the same fate as she defeated Daria Kasatkina 6-3, 7-5.
Ekaterina Alexandrova followed up her victory over <a href="https://www.wionews.com/tags/aryna-sabalenka">Sabalenka</a> by brushing aside Elise Mertens in two sets, while Ukraine's Marta Kostyuk beat Poland's Magda Linette 6-4, 6-2.
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Tennis, Sports: Iga Swiatek dropped a set in Doha for the first time since 2022 — ending a run of 25 wins in a row — but recovered to advance 6-7 (1/7), 6-4, 6-4

Three-time defending Qatar Open champion Iga Swiatek scraped her way past Czech youngster Linda Noskova on Wednesday to set up a quarter-final clash with last year's runner-up Elena Rybakina. Swiatek dropped a set in Doha for the first time since 2022 -- ending a run of 25 wins in a row -- but recovered to advance 6-7 (1/7), 6-4, 6-4 and extend her winning streak at the tournament to 14 matches. Also Read: India paddle festival returns for second edition as nation prepares for aquatic sports ahead 2026 Asian Games The five-time Grand Slam champion will take on 2022 Wimbledon winner Elena Rybakina on Thursday for a place in the semi-finals. Swiatek beat Rybakina in straight sets in the final 12 months ago. The Pole's reign looked in jeopardy when the 20-year-old Noskova, a semi-finalist in Abu Dhabi last week, dominated a first set tie-break after being unable to capitalise on five break points. Swiatek, without a title since the French Open in June, broke to go 3-2 up in the second set. Noskova immediately hit back, but the second seed responded in kind to regain her advantage. Noskova had a break point as her opponent served for the set, but Swiatek kept her cool to force a decider. Swiatek won the first two games of the final set before Noskova reeled off the next three for a 3-2 edge, and the Pole was wobbling in the eighth game. However, from 0-30 down on her serve, she rattled off six straight points to hold and then land the crucial break with a forehand into the open court. Swiatek closed out the victory in the following game despite winning fewer points than Noskova overall. Rybakina progressed earlier in the day with a 7-6 (7/1), 6-2 win over Slovakia's Rebecca Sramkova. The fifth seed from Kazakhstan battled inconsistency in the first set after racing into a 3-0 lead, failing to convert three set points in the 10th game before finally taking charge in the tie-break. Former Wimbledon champion Rybakina broke world number 46 Sramkova to start the second set and won the first four games as she wrapped up the victory with minimal fuss. Rybakina's coach Stefano Vukov remains banned following the conclusion of an investigation, the WTA confirmed on Tuesday. He was provisionally suspended last month for allegedly breaching the tour's code of conduct. Paolini, Sabalenka ousted Jasmine Paolini became the latest seed to fall on Wednesday as the fourth-ranked Italian was blown away 6-2, 6-2 by the mercurial Jelena Ostapenko. Ostapenko, who had not won back-to-back matches since Wimbledon until this week, will play Ons Jabeur or Sofia Kenin for a place in the semi-finals. Four of the top 10 seeds fell on Tuesday as world number one Aryna Sabalenka, Coco Gauff, Zheng Qinwen and Paula Badosa all exited in the second round. Sixth seed Jessica Pegula avoided the same fate as she defeated Daria Kasatkina 6-3, 7-5. Ekaterina Alexandrova followed up her victory over Sabalenka by brushing aside Elise Mertens in two sets, while Ukraine's Marta Kostyuk beat Poland's Magda Linette 6-4, 6-2. Disclaimer: This story has been published from a news agency feed with minimal edits to adhere to WION's style guide. The headline may have been changed to better reflect the content of the story or to make it more suitable for WION audience.

Qatar Open: Battling Swiatek lines up quarterfinal against Elena Rybakina

A relentless Iga Swiatek stayed on course for a maiden Australian Open title as she powered into the second week with a statement victory over Emma Raducanu on Saturday. In battle of former US Open champions, Swiatek easily had the measure of Raducanu as she romped to a 6-1, 6-0 triumph, rattling off 11 consecutive games from 1-1 in a brutal display.<o:p></o:p>
Five-time Grand Slam winner Swiatek hit 24 winners to Raducanu's nine on Rod Laver Arena. <o:p></o:p>
"I played a few shots that I thought after them, this is what I practise for to play these kind of shots, and that's why I really enjoyed today's match," said Swiatek, who was at times untouchable, committing just 12 unforced errors. "I felt really confident, so at the end I could push for even more. <o:p></o:p>
"Having converted all these break points as well was important, so I'm really happy with today's performance."<o:p></o:p>
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It was the first time that Raducanu, the 2021 Flushing Meadows winner, had reached the third round in Melbourne.<o:p></o:p>
Swiatek, the 2022 champion in New York, is looking to improve on a patchy record at the Australian Open, where she has only reached one semi-final in 2022.<o:p></o:p>
She is on course to do that in some style, having dropped just 10 games in her three matches so far.<o:p></o:p>
She put the 22-year-old Raducanu under severe pressure from the start, forcing the Briton to save break points in her first service game. <o:p></o:p>
It was to be the only game Raducanu won as the 23-year-old Pole took control, her depth, power and precision enabling her to reel off five straight games to take the set in 31 minutes.<o:p></o:p>
Raducanu was feeling the heat and dropped her serve again at the start of the second. <o:p></o:p>
At 0-5 30-0 on the Swiatek serve Raducanu had a brief glimmer of avoiding a dreaded 6-0 "bagel".<o:p></o:p>
But Swiatek snuffed out the chance, levelled at 30-30 with a forehand winner and an unreturned serve completed the demolition job in just 1hr 10min.&nbsp; <o:p></o:p>
Ranked 61, Raducanu's best Slam effort since winning the US Open has been a lone fourth-round at Wimbledon.<o:p></o:p>
She pulled out of her Australian Open warm-up event in Auckland with a back niggle and needed an injury timeout for a tight leg muscle in the previous round.<o:p></o:p>
Swiatek's path to a maiden Grand Slam final is opening up.<o:p></o:p>
With the in-form Coco Gauff and defending champion Aryna Sabalenka in the other half of the draw a potential semi-final against Elena Rybakina looms as her biggest hurdle.<o:p></o:p>
Swiatek has a straightforward-looking assignment next against either Eva Lys from Germany, ranked 128, or Romania's world number 82 Jaqueline Christian for a place in the quarter-finals.
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Sports, Tennis: Iga Swiatek, the 2022 champion in New York, is looking to improve on a patchy record at the Australian Open, where she has only reached one semi-final in 2022.

A relentless Iga Swiatek stayed on course for a maiden Australian Open title as she powered into the second week with a statement victory over Emma Raducanu on Saturday. In battle of former US Open champions, Swiatek easily had the measure of Raducanu as she romped to a 6-1, 6-0 triumph, rattling off 11 consecutive games from 1-1 in a brutal display. Five-time Grand Slam winner Swiatek hit 24 winners to Raducanu's nine on Rod Laver Arena. "I played a few shots that I thought after them, this is what I practise for to play these kind of shots, and that's why I really enjoyed today's match," said Swiatek, who was at times untouchable, committing just 12 unforced errors. "I felt really confident, so at the end I could push for even more. "Having converted all these break points as well was important, so I'm really happy with today's performance." Also read | Australian Open 2025: Here's what we know about Novak Djokovic's injury scare in third round It was the first time that Raducanu, the 2021 Flushing Meadows winner, had reached the third round in Melbourne. Swiatek, the 2022 champion in New York, is looking to improve on a patchy record at the Australian Open, where she has only reached one semi-final in 2022. She is on course to do that in some style, having dropped just 10 games in her three matches so far. She put the 22-year-old Raducanu under severe pressure from the start, forcing the Briton to save break points in her first service game. It was to be the only game Raducanu won as the 23-year-old Pole took control, her depth, power and precision enabling her to reel off five straight games to take the set in 31 minutes. Raducanu was feeling the heat and dropped her serve again at the start of the second. At 0-5 30-0 on the Swiatek serve Raducanu had a brief glimmer of avoiding a dreaded 6-0 "bagel". But Swiatek snuffed out the chance, levelled at 30-30 with a forehand winner and an unreturned serve completed the demolition job in just 1hr 10min. Ranked 61, Raducanu's best Slam effort since winning the US Open has been a lone fourth-round at Wimbledon. She pulled out of her Australian Open warm-up event in Auckland with a back niggle and needed an injury timeout for a tight leg muscle in the previous round. Swiatek's path to a maiden Grand Slam final is opening up. With the in-form Coco Gauff and defending champion Aryna Sabalenka in the other half of the draw a potential semi-final against Elena Rybakina looms as her biggest hurdle. Swiatek has a straightforward-looking assignment next against either Eva Lys from Germany, ranked 128, or Romania's world number 82 Jaqueline Christian for a place in the quarter-finals. Disclaimer: This story has been published from a news agency feed with minimal edits to adhere to WION's style guide. The headline may have been changed to better reflect the content of the story or to make it more suitable for WION audience.

Relentless Swiatek squashes Raducanu to reach Australian Open last 16

Iga Swiatek romped to an emphatic victory in her season-opening match at the United Cup Monday, but Stefanos Tsitsipas crashed as Kazakhstan upset Greece to make the knockout round of the mixed-team tournament.<o:p></o:p>
Five-time Grand Slam winner Swiatek was on court for the first time since news broke in late November that she served a one-month ban for a doping violation.<o:p></o:p>
But the Pole quickly shook off any nerves in Sydney with a 6-1, 6-0 thrashing of Norway's Malene Helgo.<o:p></o:p>
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"Pleased with everything, honestly. I'm happy for sure with the performance," said the world number two. "It's not always easy to play for your country, sometimes the pressure is a bit bigger.<o:p></o:p>
"I feel good, I feel happy, happy I can play tennis overall," she added. "I'm just going step by step and we'll see what's next."<o:p></o:p>
The 23-year-old had tested positive for the heart medication trimetazidine (TMZ) in an out-of-competition sample in August, when she was ranked number one.<o:p></o:p>
However, the International Tennis Integrity Agency (ITIA) accepted that the violation was not intentional, and she escaped with a one-month sanction.<o:p></o:p>
While she was in electric form, Greek star Tsitsipas had a day to forget.<o:p></o:p>
He is coming off a mediocre 2024 in which his ranking dropped to its current 11 from a career-high three and was hoping for a confidence-boosting fresh start in Perth.<o:p></o:p>
But he was stunned 6-4, 7-6 (7/0) by 78th-ranked Alexander Shevchenko.<o:p></o:p>
<h2>Germany and China go through<o:p></o:p></h2>
Kazakh world number six and 2022 Wimbledon champion Elena Rybakina then survived a late wobble before burying Greek hopes with a 6-4, 6-3 defeat of Maria Sakkari.<o:p></o:p>
"I'm really happy for the team," said Rybakina, now working with Novak Djokovic's former coach Goran Ivanisevic. "We all tried hard. <o:p></o:p>
"It was a tough match for me today, and I'm so happy to be in the quarter-finals."<o:p></o:p>
Rybakina took the first set and led 5-0 in the second, but the former world number three Sakkari won three games in a row to threaten a comeback.<o:p></o:p>
Rybakina came through on her third match point as Sakkari mishit an overhead.<o:p></o:p>
"At 5-0 you have nothing to lose, she played more aggressively and hit some good shots," said Rybakina.<o:p></o:p>
Shevchenko called his defeat of a sluggish Tsitsipas "one of the best" of his career.<o:p></o:p>
"He was not at his best today. But I played really well and found the moment to win that match," he said. "It will definitely go in my record as one of my best wins."<o:p></o:p>
Defending champions Germany, led by Alexander Zverev, defeated China 2-1 in the Perth evening session as both nations reached the quarterfinals.<o:p></o:p>
The Germans finished top in their group and will line up on Wednesday against Kazakhstan. China advanced as the best of the three runners-up in Perth.<o:p></o:p>
Second-ranked Zverev recovered from a bad start to beat Zhang Zhizhen 2-6, 6-0, 6-2 but unfancied Gao Xinyu stunned German Laura Siegemund 6-1, 3-6, 6-3 to even the tie.<o:p></o:p>
The German pair combined in mixed doubles to defeat Zhang Shuai and Zhang Zhizhen 6-2, 7-6 (7/3).<o:p></o:p>
Zverev had his problems in the opening rubber against an inconsistent Zhang, who swept the opening set but disappeared after that.<o:p></o:p>
"I didn't start off well. I was missing more shots from my backhand side, which is normally the most stable," said Zverev. "He was also playing extremely well, so aggressive. He was not letting me into the match or find my rhythm. <o:p></o:p>
"Then I found my rhythm, and I'm happy with my performance in the second and third sets."<o:p></o:p>
In Sydney, Katie Boulter led Britain to victory over Argentina with all three teams in the group, which also includes hosts Australia, still in contention for the knockout rounds&nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp;<o:p></o:p>
World number 24 Boulter downed 100th-ranked Nadia Podoroska 6-2, 6-3. <o:p></o:p>
Underdog Billy Harris looked on track to seal the tie for Britain when he went a set up against Tomas Martin Etcheverry.<o:p></o:p>
But the Argentine rallied for a gutsy 3-6, 6-3, 6-2 win to send the tie to a deciding mixed doubles.<o:p></o:p>
Etcheverry fronted up again with Maria Carle to take on Boulter and Charles Broom, with the British pair coming out on top 7-6 (7/4), 7-5.
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Sports: Five-time Grand Slam winner Swiatek was on court for the first time since news broke in late November that she served a one-month ban for a doping violation.

Iga Swiatek romped to an emphatic victory in her season-opening match at the United Cup Monday, but Stefanos Tsitsipas crashed as Kazakhstan upset Greece to make the knockout round of the mixed-team tournament. Five-time Grand Slam winner Swiatek was on court for the first time since news broke in late November that she served a one-month ban for a doping violation. But the Pole quickly shook off any nerves in Sydney with a 6-1, 6-0 thrashing of Norway's Malene Helgo. Also read | NBA fines Minnesota Timberwolves star Anthony Edwards for profanity "Pleased with everything, honestly. I'm happy for sure with the performance," said the world number two. "It's not always easy to play for your country, sometimes the pressure is a bit bigger. "I feel good, I feel happy, happy I can play tennis overall," she added. "I'm just going step by step and we'll see what's next." The 23-year-old had tested positive for the heart medication trimetazidine (TMZ) in an out-of-competition sample in August, when she was ranked number one. However, the International Tennis Integrity Agency (ITIA) accepted that the violation was not intentional, and she escaped with a one-month sanction. While she was in electric form, Greek star Tsitsipas had a day to forget. He is coming off a mediocre 2024 in which his ranking dropped to its current 11 from a career-high three and was hoping for a confidence-boosting fresh start in Perth. But he was stunned 6-4, 7-6 (7/0) by 78th-ranked Alexander Shevchenko. Germany and China go through Kazakh world number six and 2022 Wimbledon champion Elena Rybakina then survived a late wobble before burying Greek hopes with a 6-4, 6-3 defeat of Maria Sakkari. "I'm really happy for the team," said Rybakina, now working with Novak Djokovic's former coach Goran Ivanisevic. "We all tried hard. "It was a tough match for me today, and I'm so happy to be in the quarter-finals." Rybakina took the first set and led 5-0 in the second, but the former world number three Sakkari won three games in a row to threaten a comeback. Rybakina came through on her third match point as Sakkari mishit an overhead. "At 5-0 you have nothing to lose, she played more aggressively and hit some good shots," said Rybakina. Shevchenko called his defeat of a sluggish Tsitsipas "one of the best" of his career. "He was not at his best today. But I played really well and found the moment to win that match," he said. "It will definitely go in my record as one of my best wins." Defending champions Germany, led by Alexander Zverev, defeated China 2-1 in the Perth evening session as both nations reached the quarterfinals. The Germans finished top in their group and will line up on Wednesday against Kazakhstan. China advanced as the best of the three runners-up in Perth. Second-ranked Zverev recovered from a bad start to beat Zhang Zhizhen 2-6, 6-0, 6-2 but unfancied Gao Xinyu stunned German Laura Siegemund 6-1, 3-6, 6-3 to even the tie. The German pair combined in mixed doubles to defeat Zhang Shuai and Zhang Zhizhen 6-2, 7-6 (7/3). Zverev had his problems in the opening rubber against an inconsistent Zhang, who swept the opening set but disappeared after that. "I didn't start off well. I was missing more shots from my backhand side, which is normally the most stable," said Zverev. "He was also playing extremely well, so aggressive. He was not letting me into the match or find my rhythm. "Then I found my rhythm, and I'm happy with my performance in the second and third sets." In Sydney, Katie Boulter led Britain to victory over Argentina with all three teams in the group, which also includes hosts Australia, still in contention for the knockout rounds World number 24 Boulter downed 100th-ranked Nadia Podoroska 6-2, 6-3. Underdog Billy Harris looked on track to seal the tie for Britain when he went a set up against Tomas Martin Etcheverry. But the Argentine rallied for a gutsy 3-6, 6-3, 6-2 win to send the tie to a deciding mixed doubles. Etcheverry fronted up again with Maria Carle to take on Boulter and Charles Broom, with the British pair coming out on top 7-6 (7/4), 7-5. Disclaimer: This story has been published from a news agency feed with minimal edits to adhere to WION's style guide. The headline may have been changed to better reflect the content of the story or to make it more suitable for WION audience.

Tennis: Iga Swiatek romps as Stefanos Tsitsipas crashes at United Cup

Sydney,&nbsp;Australia: World number two Iga Swiatek said on Friday she was ready to put a drugs scandal behind her, insisting there was no reason for the World Anti-Doping Agency (WADA) to appeal against her case.&nbsp;The 23-year-old Pole tested positive for the heart medication trimetazidine (TMZ) in an out-of-competition sample in August when she was ranked number one.
However, the International Tennis Integrity Agency (ITIA) accepted that the violation was not intentional and she escaped with a one-month sanction that saw her miss three tournaments in Asia and lose her top ranking.
News of the saga only emerged in late November and she will play her first tournament since then at the mixed-teams United Cup in Sydney ahead of the Australian Open next month.
Swiatek said that, while the incident had been "mentally tough", the public response had been generally positive, allaying fears that she would be ostracised.
"I think people, most of them, are understanding," said the five-time Grand Slam champion.&nbsp;"And the ones who read the documents and are aware of how the system works, they know that I had no fault and I had no influence on what was going on.&nbsp;"I try to just go on with my life and focus on different things, focus on preparing for the season and on tennis, because this is the best thing you can do after a case like that," she said.
Her case is similar to that of Italian men's world number one Jannik Sinner.&nbsp;He was exonerated by the ITIA for twice testing positive for traces of the steroid clostebol in March. But WADA appealed against the decision in September and he is awaiting the outcome.
Also read: <a href="https://www.wionews.com/sports/tennis/german-star-alexander-zverev-aiming-to-challenge-jannik-sinner-for-top-ranking-8569649" rel="dofollow noopener" target="_blank">German star Alexander Zverev aiming to challenge Jannik Sinner for top ranking</a>
Swiatek said she does not anticipate WADA will follow the same path with her.
"I gave every possible evidence and there is not much, honestly, more to do," she said.&nbsp;"There is no point to do an appeal in our opinion.&nbsp; "But, you know, I guess overall, this whole process was pretty abstract sometimes and hard to understand from a point of view where you don't think about the law and everything.&nbsp;
"But honestly, this is about the law and the wording and this kind of stuff. So I'm not expecting an appeal, but I have kind of no influence on what's going to happen.&nbsp; "But I can say from the processes that I went through and how they treated me from the beginning, that it seemed fair for me," she said.
"I managed to give the source (of the contamination) pretty quickly. That's why the case closed, pretty quickly."
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Tennis: World number two Iga Swiatek not expecting WADA appeal over doping scandal

Sydney, Australia: World number two Iga Swiatek said on Friday she was ready to put a drugs scandal behind her, insisting there was no reason for the World Anti-Doping Agency (WADA) to appeal against her case. The 23-year-old Pole tested positive for the heart medication trimetazidine (TMZ) in an out-of-competition sample in August when she was ranked number one. However, the International Tennis Integrity Agency (ITIA) accepted that the violation was not intentional and she escaped with a one-month sanction that saw her miss three tournaments in Asia and lose her top ranking. News of the saga only emerged in late November and she will play her first tournament since then at the mixed-teams United Cup in Sydney ahead of the Australian Open next month. Swiatek said that, while the incident had been "mentally tough", the public response had been generally positive, allaying fears that she would be ostracised. "I think people, most of them, are understanding," said the five-time Grand Slam champion. "And the ones who read the documents and are aware of how the system works, they know that I had no fault and I had no influence on what was going on. "I try to just go on with my life and focus on different things, focus on preparing for the season and on tennis, because this is the best thing you can do after a case like that," she said. Her case is similar to that of Italian men's world number one Jannik Sinner. He was exonerated by the ITIA for twice testing positive for traces of the steroid clostebol in March. But WADA appealed against the decision in September and he is awaiting the outcome. Also read: German star Alexander Zverev aiming to challenge Jannik Sinner for top ranking Swiatek said she does not anticipate WADA will follow the same path with her. "I gave every possible evidence and there is not much, honestly, more to do," she said. "There is no point to do an appeal in our opinion. "But, you know, I guess overall, this whole process was pretty abstract sometimes and hard to understand from a point of view where you don't think about the law and everything. "But honestly, this is about the law and the wording and this kind of stuff. So I'm not expecting an appeal, but I have kind of no influence on what's going to happen. "But I can say from the processes that I went through and how they treated me from the beginning, that it seemed fair for me," she said. "I managed to give the source (of the contamination) pretty quickly. That's why the case closed, pretty quickly." Disclaimer: This story has been published from a news agency feed with minimal edits to adhere to WION's style guide. The headline may have been changed to better reflect the content of the story or to make it more suitable for WION audience.

World number two Iga Swiatek not expecting WADA appeal over doping scandal

Romania's Simona Halep on Friday rounded on the International Tennis Integrity Agency (ITIA) for discrepancies in the treatment of world number two Iga Swiatek after testing positive for a banned substance.

The ITIA announced a one-month ban on Thursday for Swiatek after the 23-year-old had tested positive for the heart medication trimetazidine (TMZ) in an out-of-competition sample in August 2024, when the Polish player was ranked number one in the world.

Halep, now 33, returned to tennis in March this year after her own career had been on hold since October 7, 2022, the date of the start of her provisional suspension after testing positive for roxadustat at the US Open.

The winner of the 2018 French Open and 2019 Wimbledon singles titles was then caught up in a second affair, this time "irregularities" in the data of her biological passport.

She was handed a four-year ban by the&nbsp;ITIA, but Halep successfully appealed to the Court of Arbitration for Sport (CAS) in February, arguing her positive test for roxadustat -- used to treat anaemia and banned as a blood doping agent -- was the result of a tainted supplement.

"I wonder why there is such a difference in treatment and judgment? I don't find and I don't think there can be a logical answer," Halep said in a long message posted in Romanian on her Instagram account.

"It can only be bad will on the part of the ITIA, the organisation that did everything to destroy me despite the evidence. It wanted at all costs to destroy the last years of my career."

ALSO READ |&nbsp;<a href="https://www.wionews.com/cricket/bgt-202425-rahul-should-bat-at-no-3-if-rohit-sharma-wants-to-open-in-adelaide-test-feels-pujara-780121">BGT 2024/25: Rahul should bat at No. 3 if Rohit Sharma wants to open in Adelaide Test, feels Pujara</a>

Halep, now sitting 877th in the world rankings, added: "I suffered, I suffer and I will perhaps always suffer from the injustice that was done to me.

"How is it possible that in identical cases taking place at roughly the same time, the ITIA has completely different approaches, to my detriment?

"I lost two years of my career, I suffered many sleepless nights, thoughts, anxiety, unanswered questions... but I got justice. It turned out that it was a contamination and that (the anomaly in my) biological passport was pure invention."

Disclaimer:&nbsp;This story has been published from a news agency feed with minimal edits to adhere to WION's style guide. The headline may have been changed to better reflect the content of the story or to make it more suitable for WION audience.

Romania's Simona Halep on Friday rounded on the International Tennis Integrity Agency (ITIA) for discrepancies in the treatment of world number two Iga Swiatek after testing positive for a banned substance.

Romania's Simona Halep on Friday rounded on the International Tennis Integrity Agency (ITIA) for discrepancies in the treatment of world number two Iga Swiatek after testing positive for a banned substance. The ITIA announced a one-month ban on Thursday for Swiatek after the 23-year-old had tested positive for the heart medication trimetazidine (TMZ) in an out-of-competition sample in August 2024, when the Polish player was ranked number one in the world. Halep, now 33, returned to tennis in March this year after her own career had been on hold since October 7, 2022, the date of the start of her provisional suspension after testing positive for roxadustat at the US Open. The winner of the 2018 French Open and 2019 Wimbledon singles titles was then caught up in a second affair, this time "irregularities" in the data of her biological passport. She was handed a four-year ban by the ITIA, but Halep successfully appealed to the Court of Arbitration for Sport (CAS) in February, arguing her positive test for roxadustat -- used to treat anaemia and banned as a blood doping agent -- was the result of a tainted supplement. "I wonder why there is such a difference in treatment and judgment? I don't find and I don't think there can be a logical answer," Halep said in a long message posted in Romanian on her Instagram account. "It can only be bad will on the part of the ITIA, the organisation that did everything to destroy me despite the evidence. It wanted at all costs to destroy the last years of my career." ALSO READ | BGT 2024/25: Rahul should bat at No. 3 if Rohit Sharma wants to open in Adelaide Test, feels Pujara Halep, now sitting 877th in the world rankings, added: "I suffered, I suffer and I will perhaps always suffer from the injustice that was done to me. "How is it possible that in identical cases taking place at roughly the same time, the ITIA has completely different approaches, to my detriment? "I lost two years of my career, I suffered many sleepless nights, thoughts, anxiety, unanswered questions... but I got justice. It turned out that it was a contamination and that (the anomaly in my) biological passport was pure invention." Disclaimer: This story has been published from a news agency feed with minimal edits to adhere to WION's style guide. The headline may have been changed to better reflect the content of the story or to make it more suitable for WION audience.

Simona Halep rounds on tennis doping body for Iga Swiatek leniency

French Open champion Iga Swiatek escaped with a one-month suspension for a positive doping test after convincing the International Tennis Integrity Agency that it had not been intentional, the ITIA announced on Thursday.&nbsp;

Poland's Swiatek, 23, tested positive for the prohibited substance trimetazidine (TMZ) in an out-of-competition sample in August 2024.

The ITIA, however, accepted that it was caused by "the contamination of a regulated non-prescription medication (melatonin), manufactured and sold in Poland that the player had been taking for jet lag and sleep issues".

"The violation was therefore not intentional... the player's level of fault was considered to be at the lowest end of the range for 'No Significant Fault or Negligence'."

ALSO READ |&nbsp;<a href="https://www.wionews.com/cricket/bgt-virat-kohli-couldve-a-big-series-former-india-coach-rahul-dravid-issues-stern-warning-to-australia-779828">BGT: 'Virat Kohli could've a big series,' Former India coach Rahul Dravid issues stern warning to Australia</a>

Swiatek, who has five Grand Slam titles to her name, accepted the month's suspension.

She was provisionally suspended from September 22 until October 4, missing three tournaments, which counts towards the sanction, leaving eight days remaining.&nbsp;

She will also forfeit prize money from the Cincinnati Open, the tournament directly following the test, where she lost to world number one Aryna Sabalenka in the final.&nbsp;

Disclaimer:&nbsp;This story has been published from a news agency feed with minimal edits to adhere to WION's style guide. The headline may have been changed to better reflect the content of the story or to make it more suitable for WION audience.

French Open champion Iga Swiatek escaped with a one-month suspension for a positive doping test after convincing the International Tennis Integrity Agency that it had not been intentional, the ITIA announced on Thursday.

French Open champion Iga Swiatek escaped with a one-month suspension for a positive doping test after convincing the International Tennis Integrity Agency that it had not been intentional, the ITIA announced on Thursday. Poland's Swiatek, 23, tested positive for the prohibited substance trimetazidine (TMZ) in an out-of-competition sample in August 2024. The ITIA, however, accepted that it was caused by "the contamination of a regulated non-prescription medication (melatonin), manufactured and sold in Poland that the player had been taking for jet lag and sleep issues". "The violation was therefore not intentional... the player's level of fault was considered to be at the lowest end of the range for 'No Significant Fault or Negligence'." ALSO READ | BGT: 'Virat Kohli could've a big series,' Former India coach Rahul Dravid issues stern warning to Australia Swiatek, who has five Grand Slam titles to her name, accepted the month's suspension. She was provisionally suspended from September 22 until October 4, missing three tournaments, which counts towards the sanction, leaving eight days remaining. She will also forfeit prize money from the Cincinnati Open, the tournament directly following the test, where she lost to world number one Aryna Sabalenka in the final. Disclaimer: This story has been published from a news agency feed with minimal edits to adhere to WION's style guide. The headline may have been changed to better reflect the content of the story or to make it more suitable for WION audience.

French Open champion Iga Swiatek accepts one-month doping suspension

Italy reached a second consecutive Billie Jean King Cup final with a dramatic 2-1 victory over Iga Swiatek's Poland on Monday in Malaga.

Swiatek came from a set down to beat Jasmine Paolini in her singles rubber but the Italian earned immediate revenge over the five-time Grand Slam winner in the deciding doubles clash.

Paolini and veteran Sara Errani overcame Swiatek and Katarzyna Kawa 7-5, 7-5 to send the four-time champions through to Wednesday's final.

Great Britain face Slovakia in the second semi-final on Tuesday.

In the opening singles rubber, Italy's Lucia Bronzetti beat Magda Linette 6-4, 7-6 (7/3).

That was followed by Swiatek's battle with Paolini, which ran over two-and-a-half hours and saw the Pole win 3-6, 6-4, 6-4.

"It was tough today... the intensity was insane, I was a little bit tired but I said to myself, you still have to play the doubles, you have to give everything for Italy, for my team," said Paolini.

"When I lost the (singles) match I was a little bit sad, but then tried to go in the locker room and think positive about the doubles."

Poland were in the semi-finals for the first time but came undone just when it seemed they had done enough for a tie-break, losing the last six games of the final set in the doubles.

"Honestly I don't think I've ever been so tired," said Swiatek.

Linette, the world number 38, was largely outclassed by Bronzetti, ranked 78th, in the first singles rubber.

At 4-1 down in the second set, Linette battled back strongly to force a tie-break but was eventually beaten when she slapped a return into the net after saving one match point.

It left the pressure on Swiatek to deliver, which she did in thrilling fashion.

Beaten every time in their three prior clashes and having never managed to take a set off Swiatek, Paolini battled with fierce determination from the outset.

Swiatek crushed the world number four in straight sets in the French Open final earlier this year but found a vastly tougher opponent in Malaga.

The Pole saved two break points to hold at 2-2 and then broke with a fizzing forehand to take the lead.

It did not deter Paolini, who doubled down and won the next four games, securing two breaks of her own, to claim the first set.

Swiatek spurned three break points in the final game and showed signs of tiredness after helping Poland reach the semi-finals by winning both her singles match and a doubles rubber against the Czech Republic.

Paolini had done the same for last year's runners-up Italy against Japan but dug deep to keep Swiatek at bay until the 10th and final game of the second set, which the Pole won to force a third.

After the players exchanged breaks in the decider, Swiatek eventually triumphed when Paolini went long.

Swiatek won 13 of the 16 break points she faced, proving the stronger in the key moments.

"For sure it was tough, my energy level was down in the second set but I managed to get back and that was the most important thing," said Swiatek, explaining she had "no time to celebrate" as the job was not done yet.

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<h2>Found the way</h2>

In the first set of the doubles decider, the teams stayed on serve until Italy's combination of Errani and Paolini broke for a 6-5 lead and then held to claim the set.

Swiatek and Kawa responded strongly, opening up a 5-1 lead in the second set before suffering a collapse.

The relentless Italians fought back in stunning fashion by winning six games straight, sealing the victory when Swiatek overhit a forehand.

"It was not easy, it was a really long day, I didn't start the doubles that well... but then I found the way, I think we played a really good match," said Errani.

The 37-year-old served for the last point of the match underarm, a habitual move of hers.

"I did it many times this year, (when there's) tension it's a good combination sometimes to do it," she added.

Disclaimer:&nbsp;This story has been published from a news agency feed with minimal edits to adhere to WION's style guide. The headline may have been changed to better reflect the content of the story or to make it more suitable for WION audience.

Italy reached a second consecutive Billie Jean King Cup final with a dramatic 2-1 victory over Iga Swiatek's Poland on Monday in Malaga. Swiatek came from a set down to beat Jasmine Paolini in her singles rubber but the Italian earned immediate revenge over the five-time Grand Slam winner in the deciding doubles clash.

Italy reached a second consecutive Billie Jean King Cup final with a dramatic 2-1 victory over Iga Swiatek's Poland on Monday in Malaga. Swiatek came from a set down to beat Jasmine Paolini in her singles rubber but the Italian earned immediate revenge over the five-time Grand Slam winner in the deciding doubles clash. Paolini and veteran Sara Errani overcame Swiatek and Katarzyna Kawa 7-5, 7-5 to send the four-time champions through to Wednesday's final. Great Britain face Slovakia in the second semi-final on Tuesday. In the opening singles rubber, Italy's Lucia Bronzetti beat Magda Linette 6-4, 7-6 (7/3). That was followed by Swiatek's battle with Paolini, which ran over two-and-a-half hours and saw the Pole win 3-6, 6-4, 6-4. "It was tough today... the intensity was insane, I was a little bit tired but I said to myself, you still have to play the doubles, you have to give everything for Italy, for my team," said Paolini. "When I lost the (singles) match I was a little bit sad, but then tried to go in the locker room and think positive about the doubles." Poland were in the semi-finals for the first time but came undone just when it seemed they had done enough for a tie-break, losing the last six games of the final set in the doubles. "Honestly I don't think I've ever been so tired," said Swiatek. Linette, the world number 38, was largely outclassed by Bronzetti, ranked 78th, in the first singles rubber. At 4-1 down in the second set, Linette battled back strongly to force a tie-break but was eventually beaten when she slapped a return into the net after saving one match point. It left the pressure on Swiatek to deliver, which she did in thrilling fashion. Beaten every time in their three prior clashes and having never managed to take a set off Swiatek, Paolini battled with fierce determination from the outset. Swiatek crushed the world number four in straight sets in the French Open final earlier this year but found a vastly tougher opponent in Malaga. The Pole saved two break points to hold at 2-2 and then broke with a fizzing forehand to take the lead. It did not deter Paolini, who doubled down and won the next four games, securing two breaks of her own, to claim the first set. Swiatek spurned three break points in the final game and showed signs of tiredness after helping Poland reach the semi-finals by winning both her singles match and a doubles rubber against the Czech Republic. Paolini had done the same for last year's runners-up Italy against Japan but dug deep to keep Swiatek at bay until the 10th and final game of the second set, which the Pole won to force a third. After the players exchanged breaks in the decider, Swiatek eventually triumphed when Paolini went long. Swiatek won 13 of the 16 break points she faced, proving the stronger in the key moments. "For sure it was tough, my energy level was down in the second set but I managed to get back and that was the most important thing," said Swiatek, explaining she had "no time to celebrate" as the job was not done yet. ALSO READ | BGT 2024-25: Ravi Shastri wants India batters to 'think about' last Australia tour's performance in Perth Found the way In the first set of the doubles decider, the teams stayed on serve until Italy's combination of Errani and Paolini broke for a 6-5 lead and then held to claim the set. Swiatek and Kawa responded strongly, opening up a 5-1 lead in the second set before suffering a collapse. The relentless Italians fought back in stunning fashion by winning six games straight, sealing the victory when Swiatek overhit a forehand. "It was not easy, it was a really long day, I didn't start the doubles that well... but then I found the way, I think we played a really good match," said Errani. The 37-year-old served for the last point of the match underarm, a habitual move of hers. "I did it many times this year, (when there's) tension it's a good combination sometimes to do it," she added. Disclaimer: This story has been published from a news agency feed with minimal edits to adhere to WION's style guide. The headline may have been changed to better reflect the content of the story or to make it more suitable for WION audience.

Billie Jean King Cup: Italy beat Iga Swiatek's Poland to reach final

The start of the Billie Jean King Cup finals on Wednesday in Malaga was postponed after a weather warning in the wake of recent devastating floods in Spain. Hosts Spain were due to face world number two Iga Swiatek's Poland in the afternoon but organisers pushed the tie back to Friday morning "due to a severe weather alert issued by local and regional authorities".

"This decision has been made based on guidance from the relevant authorities to ensure the health and safety of all participants and attendees," said the International Tennis Federation in a statement.

Spain is braced for new storms after terrible flooding in the Valencia region at the end of October. The country's meteorological agency AEMET has placed parts of the Andalucia, Valencia and Catalonia regions on orange alert -- the second highest level -- until Thursday.

Also read:&nbsp;<a href="https://www.wionews.com/sports/nba/news-stephen-curry-dazzles-on-klay-thompsons-return-as-golden-state-warriors-beat-dallas-mavericks-775772">Stephen Curry dazzles on Klay Thompson's return as Golden State Warriors beat Dallas Mavericks</a>

The Billie Jean King and Davis Cups, billed as the World Cup of women's and men's tennis respectively, are both being held in Malaga this month, with Spanish superstar Rafa Nadal playing in his last competition before he retires.

Disclaimer:&nbsp;This story has been published from a news agency feed with minimal edits to adhere to WION's style guide. The headline may have been changed to better reflect the content of the story or to make it more suitable for WION audience.

The start of the Billie Jean King Cup finals on Wednesday in Malaga was postponed after a weather warning in the wake of recent devastating floods in Spain. Hosts Spain were due to face world number two Iga Swiatek's Poland in the afternoon but organisers pushed the tie back to Friday morning "due to a severe weather alert issued by local and regional authorities".

The start of the Billie Jean King Cup finals on Wednesday in Malaga was postponed after a weather warning in the wake of recent devastating floods in Spain. Hosts Spain were due to face world number two Iga Swiatek's Poland in the afternoon but organisers pushed the tie back to Friday morning "due to a severe weather alert issued by local and regional authorities". "This decision has been made based on guidance from the relevant authorities to ensure the health and safety of all participants and attendees," said the International Tennis Federation in a statement. Spain is braced for new storms after terrible flooding in the Valencia region at the end of October. The country's meteorological agency AEMET has placed parts of the Andalucia, Valencia and Catalonia regions on orange alert -- the second highest level -- until Thursday. Also read: Stephen Curry dazzles on Klay Thompson's return as Golden State Warriors beat Dallas Mavericks The Billie Jean King and Davis Cups, billed as the World Cup of women's and men's tennis respectively, are both being held in Malaga this month, with Spanish superstar Rafa Nadal playing in his last competition before he retires. Disclaimer: This story has been published from a news agency feed with minimal edits to adhere to WION's style guide. The headline may have been changed to better reflect the content of the story or to make it more suitable for WION audience.

No. 2 ranked Iga Swiatek's BJK Cup opener postponed after weather alert

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