Iga Swiatek wins to set up Jessica Pegula semi-final
World number one Iga Swiatek is through to the Canadian Open semi-finals with a three-set victory over American qualifier Danielle Collins.
The Pole, 22, won 6-3 4-6 6-2 in Montreal to set up a semi with American world number three Jessica Pegula.
Swiatek took advantage of Collins’ second serve in the deciding set, breaking twice to win her 50th match of the season.
Earlier, Pegula beat compatriot and doubles partner Coco Gauff 6-2 5-7 7-5.
“I really wanted to play powerful and I’m pretty happy that I managed to even increase the power in the third set,” four-time Grand Slam champion Swiatek said. “For sure, I was looking for that. Today I felt like I really needed to go even higher in terms of the intensity.”
Pegula, 29, broke her 19-year-old opponent twice on the way to claiming the first set but Gauff edged the second to level.
Gauff was not helped by nine double faults and Pegula earned the decisive break at 5-5 in the third set before serving out for the match.
“It’s always tough to play your doubles partner,” said Pegula.
“It just came down to the wire and who was going to compete better.”
Liudmila Samsonova beat world number two Aryna Sabalenka 7-6 (7-2) 4-6 6-3 in their delayed third-round match.
Russian Samsonova will play Belinda Bencic in the last eight after the Swiss came back from a set down to secure a 6-7 (3-7) 6-3 6-1 victory against Petra Kvitova in another match which had to be moved to Friday.