Ostrava Open: Swiatek beat MacNally- No.1 seed Iga Swiatek reached her 10th semifinal of 2022 with a 6-4, 6-4 defeat of qualifier Caty McNally at the Agel Open. Follow Ostrava Open Live updates with InsideSport.IN
Ostrava Open: Iga Swiatek defeats Caty MacNally in Ostrava Open quarterfinal, storms into 10th semifinal of 2022
A roar from Iga and the crowd 🗣️
The World No.1 picks up the win over McNally, 6-4, 6-4!#OstravaOpen pic.twitter.com/Qd6IB0gEjo
— wta (@WTA) October 7, 2022
Having set a record for the longest Hologic WTA Tour winning streak between February and July, US Open champion Swiatek’s active streak has now ticked up to nine.
The Pole’s overall season record is 59-7 — one victory away from tying Caroline Wozniacki, the last player to win 60 matches in a single season. The former World No.1 hit that mark in 2017.
Despite being able to wrap up the win in straight sets, Swiatek required 1 hour and 54 minutes to quell McNally’s challenge. There was little smooth sailing against an opponent with whom Swiatek had won the 2018 Roland Garros girls’ doubles title — and to whom she had lost both of their junior meetings.
Ostrava Open: Iga Swiatek defeats Caty MacNally in Ostrava Open quarterfinal, storms into 10th semifinal of 2022
Swiatek will next face either Seoul champion Ekaterina Alexandrova or wild card Tereza Martincova.
Swiatek faced serious scoreboard pressure in both sets. In the first, she faced break points in each of her first three service games, and was the first player to go down a break when McNally pulled off a terrific passing shot for 3-2.
In the second, Swiatek saw the momentum of a five-game run evaporate as McNally fought back valiantly, pegging the World No.1 back from 3-0 to 3-3 with determined aggression.
But at the climax of each set, it was Swiatek who raised her game. No.151-ranked McNally’s swashbuckling forays to the net have lent themselves to numerous highlights already this week in Ostrava, where she has made her quarterfinal debut at WTA 500 level. But Swiatek responded with a series of exquisitely placed passing shots to deny her opponent.
Ostrava Open: Iga Swiatek defeats Caty MacNally in Ostrava Open quarterfinal, storms into 10th semifinal of 2022
Follow Ostrava Open Live updates with InsideSport.IN