Tennis-Swiatek roars back to reach Madrid semi-finals

Tennis – Madrid Open – Park Manzanares, Madrid, Spain – April 30, 2024 Poland’s Iga Swiatek celebrates winning her quarter final match against Brazil’s Beatriz Haddad Maia REUTERS/Violeta Santos Moura

(Reuters) – World number one Iga Swiatek recovered from losing the opening set to beat Brazilian 11th seed Beatriz Haddad Maia 4-6 6-0 6-2 and moved into the Madrid Open semi-finals on Tuesday.

Swiatek, bidding for her third title this year, broke to lead 3-1 in the first set, but Haddad Maia bounced back to break twice, saving three break points in between to level at 4-4, and took the opening set.

That was the first set the Pole had dropped in the tournament, but she had an emphatic response, completing a bagel in the second set, where the Brazilian failed to force a single break point and Swiatek won two service games to love.

Tennis – Madrid Open – Park Manzanares, Madrid, Spain – April 30, 2024 Poland’s Iga Swiatek and Brazil’s Beatriz Haddad Maia after their quarter final match REUTERS/Violeta Santos Moura

Swiatek continued in the same vein in the deciding set, breaking at the first opportunity to lead 2-0, and although Haddad Maia broke back immediately, the top seed won four of the next five games to complete her comeback.

Tennis – Madrid Open – Park Manzanares, Madrid, Spain – April 30, 2024 Poland’s Iga Swiatek in action during her quarter final match against Brazil’s Beatriz Haddad Maia REUTERS/Violeta Santos Moura

Having lost their first meeting in 2022, Swiatek has now won the last three matches against the Brazilian.

Last year’s losing finalist Swiatek, with wins at Indian Wells and the Qatar Open in 2024, will face either Tunisian eighth seed Ons Jabeur or American 18th seed Madison Keys, who play later on Tuesday, in Thursday’s semi-final. (This story has been corrected to change Swiss to Tunisian in paragraph 6)

Tennis – Madrid Open – Park Manzanares, Madrid, Spain – April 30, 2024 Brazil’s Beatriz Haddad Maia reacts during her quarter final match against Poland’s Iga Swiatek REUTERS/Violeta Santos Moura

(Reporting by Trevor Stynes; Editing by Christian Radnedge)

Tennis – Madrid Open – Park Manzanares, Madrid, Spain – April 30, 2024 Poland’s Iga Swiatek in action during her quarter final match against Brazil’s Beatriz Haddad Maia REUTERS/Violeta Santos Moura