Iga Swiatek one win away from another Australian Open final

After an emphatic run through the draw, the world No 2 dropped just three games as she eased past the eighth seed 6-1, 6-2.

The second set was tighter than the scoreline suggested, though the Pole was rarely troubled as she returned to the last four in Melbourne for the first time since 2022.

It is the seventh Grand Slam semi-final for Swiatek, who holds an impressive 5-1 record in major semi-finals - with her only loss a defeat to Danielle Collins at this tournament.

Aged 23, she is the youngest woman to reach seven Grand Slam singles semi-finals since Maria Sharapova, who was just 19 when she progressed to her seventh semi-final at the 2006 US Open.

Swiatek will hope she can go on to match Sharapova and win the title, just as the Russian did in New York almost 19 years ago.

That was not the only feat the former world No 1 achieved on her way to the last four in Melbourne.

The Pole dropped serve twice in her opening match against Katerina Siniakova but did not drop serve once in her ensuing matches versus Rebecca Sramkova, Emma Raducanu, Eva Lys, and Navarro.

It is the first time in Swiatek's career that she has gone four straight matches without losing serve.

Meanwhile, the Pole has only dropped 14 games on her way to the last four, a record beaten by just three women since the Australian Open first introduced 128-player draws in 1988.

Only Sharapova in 2013 (9), Monica Seles in 1991 (12), and Steffi Graf in 1989 (13) have dropped fewer games on their way to the last four in Melbourne; both Seles and Graf would go on to win the title.

Swiatek's win over world No 8 Navarro was also her ninth win in 12 matches against top-10 opponents at Grand Slam level.

Her three losses to top-10 players at majors came to Simona Halep at the 2019 French Open and 2021 Australian Open, and to Jessica Pegula at the 2024 US Open.

In the past four decades, only Martina Navratilova (10) has won more matches in their first 12 meetings against top-10 players at Grand Slams.

Up next for Swiatek is 19th seed Madison Keys, who is into the last four of the Australian Open for the third time.

Swiatek leads the head-to-head 4-1 and has won their past two meetings, in Madrid and Rome last season. 

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