Stuttgart – Former French Open winner Iga Swiatek has continued her impressive winning streak on the tennis tour by reaching the final in Stuttgart.
The world number one celebrated her 22nd win in a row in the semi-finals with a 6-7 (4-7), 6-4, 7-5 win over Russian outsider Lyudmila Samsonova. In front of around 4,000 spectators, the 20-year-old put away her first set loss since winning the last 16 against Angelique Kerber in Indian Wells in March and prevailed in a thrilling and, in the end, high-class encounter in a good three hours.
In the final on Sunday (13.00/Eurosport), the 20-year-old Swiatek can claim her fourth title this year against last year’s Belarusian finalist Aryna Sabalenka.
World number four Aryna Sabalenka earlier won 7-6 (7-5), 6-4 against Spanish top-ranked Paula Badosa in the first semi-final. The Belarusian missed out on winning the title at Germany’s most important women’s tennis tournament last year against Australian Ashleigh Barty in the final.
Hopes for the first German semi-finalist since 2017 had not been fulfilled. Laura Siegemund, who had won the tournament five years ago, was the last remaining German participant to be eliminated in the quarter-finals against Samsonova. For Angelique Kerber, the first-round exit at the €611,210 tournament was another setback this season.
