Unlikely: My Only Decision Is To Leave Iga Swiatek

Emma Raducanu’s progress in the Stuttgart Open was halted in straight sets by the world No 1, Iga Swiatek.

The Polish four-time grand slam champion, in her 100th week on top of the world rankings, prevailed 7-6 (2), 6-3 to set up a semi-final with Kazakhstan’s Elena Rybakina. It was, however, an encouraging quarter-final performance from Raducanu, who has slipped to 303 in the rankings after a torrid 2023.

Raducanu came in to the contest on a high after winning four matches in a row for the first time since her US Open title in 2021 and her raised confidence levels were reflected in the opening exchanges. Several big returns from the 21-year-old turned a 0-40 deficit into an immediate break of serve, but Swiatek levelled after edging a second game that featured seven deuces.

That seesaw battle set the tone for a marathon 70-minute opening set which produced plenty of high quality ground strokes from both sides of the net. The match went with serve from that point, with Raducanu superbly holding her nerve at 5-4 and 6-5 down to force the first set to a tie-break. Swiatek completely dominated though, winning the first four points before closing it out 7-2.

Raducanu was quickly in trouble again in the second set, falling 2-0 behind and covered in clay after losing her footing on the baseline. She continued to fight and fended off break points in her next two service games to stay in the match. But Swiatek kept up the pressure to finally end Raducanu’s resistance to move into the last four.

“It was a pretty intense match, so I’m happy that I was able to keep the intensity even though we played a tough games for two hours,” Swiatek said. “It wasn’t easy, I had a lot of break points that I couldn’t convert.”

Asked if she thought Raducanu was on the path back to challenging for titles, Swiatek said: “I hope she’ll be able to do it, because for sure, she has a game for that, but it’s not easy.”

Emma Raducanu has been knocked out of the Stuttgart Open despite a spirited quarter-final display against world number one Iga Swiatek.

Britain’s Raducanu, who is continuing her comeback from an injury-hit 2023 season, lost 7-6 (7-2) 6-3 against the clay-court specialist from Poland.

Swiatek is on a 10-match winning run in Stuttgart, having won the last two editions of the WTA 500 tournament.

She will face Kazakhstan’s fourth seed Elena Rybakina next.

Live scores, results and order of play

Raducanu, 21, has enjoyed a return to form over the past week, helping Britain beat France in the Billie Jean King Cup at the weekend before wins against three-time major winner Angelique Kerber and Linda Noskova.

Her run to the quarter-finals in Stuttgart will see her rise up the world rankings after dropping to 303rd following wrist and ankle operations in 2023.

Asked if she thought Raducanu can return to the top level of the sport, Swiatek said: “I hope she will be able to do it because for sure she has the game for it.”

Raducanu enjoyed a dream start against Swiatek, 22, fighting back from 40-0 down to break the defending champion’s opening service game.

The four-time major winner broke back immediately and continued to threaten Raducanu’s serve throughout the first set, but the Briton held firm to force a tie-break.

Swiatek raced through the tie-break before striking the first blow in the second set on her way to a 3-1 lead as a tumble onto the clay floor seemed to momentarily dent Raducanu’s confidence.

The 2021 US Open champion regained her composure to divert three break points in the fifth game, but the single break of serve in the second set proved enough for Swiatek to wrap up the win after a gruelling two hours and four minutes on court.

“It was a pretty intense match so I am happy I was able to keep the intensity even though we played tough games for over two hours,” Swiatek said.

“It wasn’t easy, I had a lot of break points that I couldn’t convert.”

Sabalenka and Gauff struggle in Stuttgart
Earlier on Friday, Rybakina booked her last-four spot by defeating Italy’s Jasmine Paolini 6-3 5-7 6-3.

On the other side of the draw, Wimbledon champion Marketa Vondrousova knocked out world number two Aryna Sabalenka with a 3-6 6-3 7-5 win.

Sabalenka has failed to go beyond the quarter-finals of a tournament since her Australian Open triumph in January.

The Belarusian, a runner-up in the last three Stuttgart tournaments, committed 48 unforced errors and converted just six of her 15 break points.

Vondrousova, the Czech sixth seed, will play Marta Kostyuk next after the Ukrainian secured her second straight top-10 win against US Open champion Coco Gauff.

American Gauff sped through the first set in 36 minutes, but Kostyuk, who knocked out China’s fifth seed Zheng Qinwen on Thursday, fought back from a break down in both the second and third sets to win 3-6 6-4 7-6 (8-6).