WORLD number one Iga Świątek said she found the right balance between taking risks and playing aggressively in her 6-4, 6-4 win over Britain’s Emma Raducanu in Stuttgart on Friday as the Polish star celebrated her 21st victory in a row.
Świątek reached the semifinals of the WTA 500 claycourt tournament after overcoming a strong effort from US Open champion Raducanu in the quarterfinals.
“I think (it was) just about balancing the risk I was taking with some sort of games,” Swiatek after the match. “I still needed to adjust a few things and get used to the surface during the match.
“I played more solid and less risky sometimes, but on the other hand, also aggressively. So, when I balanced that act, it was pretty good.”
Świątek, 20, has not dropped a set in her last 13 matches and also leads the women’s tour with 28 wins this season.
Asked how she has managed to achieve those feats, Świątek said, “Honestly, just step by step. (I’m) not thinking about what’s happened and what’s going to happen. I’m just focusing on the next match.
“I am doing everything well to prepare and recover after each round. It’s huge work, honestly, (from) me and my team. It looks like I am going with the flow but behind it, it is hard work.”
Świątek, who won the French Open in 2020, will meet Liudmila Samsonova in the final four. — Reuters