Underdog Swiatek overcomes Keys challenge, advances to Madrid Open semi-finals.

In an unfolding spectacle at the Madrid Open, second-seeded Iga Swiatek kept her title defense on track, overcoming Americanpowerhouse Madison Keys in a thrilling quarterfinal match after a close 0-6, 6-3, 6-2 win. This rematch of their Australian Open encounter marked Swiatek's revenge against Keys, who had bested the Pole in their previous meeting.

Looking ahead, Swiatek will square off against none other than the rising star, Coco Gauff. Gauff clinched her spot in the semifinals, notching her third straight victory against Andreeva in a hard-fought 7-5, 6-1 match.

Swiatek, seeking her maiden title of the season, fought back from a rocky first set to improve her undefeated record against Keys on clay and join the ranks of the third consecutive Madrid semifinalist. Keys had toppled the Pole on her way to claiming her maiden Grand Slam title at the Australian Open but failed to capitalize on her initial dominance.

"It was one of the weirdest matches I played," said Swiatek post-match. "Madi was playing perfectly at the beginning. I just tried to play a bit shorter, put the ball in. I just stayed in there."

Meanwhile, in the Arantxa Sanchez stadium, Gauff saved two set points while receiving at 4-5 before securing a one-set lead against Andreeva after 63 minutes of play. Gauff then cruised through the second set, dismissing the seventh-seeded Russian and advancing to her first semifinal of the year, excluding the United Cup event.

The fourth-seeded American awarded herself a 9/10 grade for her performance, asserting, "I think I played really well and stayed composed, even when facing those set points. I had that tough match in the first round, even though it was tough, it kind of woke me up and hopefully, I can keep going all the way into the end."

Elsewhere on the court, Elina Svitolina extended her impressive winning streak to 11 matches with a swift 6-2, 6-1 rout of Japanese player Moyuka Uchijima in just 52 minutes. The Ukrainian champion claimed victory in Rouen last week and is undefeated on clay this season, making her the first Ukrainian woman ever to reach the Madrid semifinals.

"I have a lot on my plate," admitted the former world number three, who also manages the Ukrainian national tennis team and runs a foundation. "But I draw energy and motivation from my people. When I go back to Ukraine, I just get so much energy from all the people that are right now over there having a tough time. I'm just trying to keep it up and bring some wins for Ukraine."

In ATP competition, Matteo Arnaldi etched his name in the history books by scoring multiple top-20 victories in a single event for the first time. He knocked out 16th-seeded Frances Tiafoe 6-3, 7-5 to advance to the Madrid quarterfinals. Arnaldi will compete against British fifth seed Jack Draper, who reached his first Masters 1000 quarterfinal on clay with a 6-2, 6-2 win against world number 12 Tommy Paul.

"Whenever I practiced back home on it and when I was younger, I always felt good on this surface," declared Draper. "It feels good to try and keep on proving myself, to myself and everyone else, that I'm a good player on this surface and I'm dangerous."

[1] Madrid Open - WTA - Singles - Results[2] Madrid Open - WTA - Singles - Rankings[5] Madrid Open - WTA - Singles - Match Details

Iga Swiatek, the second-seeded player, stated that her match against Madison Keys was one of the weirdest she's played, as Keys started strongly but Swiatek managed to turn the tide.
Coco Gauff, the rising star, secured her spot in the semifinals of the Madrid Open, claiming her third straight victory against Andreeva in a challenging match.
Elina Svitolina, the Ukrainian champion, continued her impressive winning streak on clay, routing Japanese player Moyuka Uchijima in just 52 minutes at the Madrid Open.
Matteo Arnaldi made history in ATP competition by achieving multiple top-20 victories in a single event for the first time, knocking out Frances Tiafoe to advance to the Madrid quarterfinals.
In the ATP competition, Jack Draper reached his first Masters 1000 quarterfinal on clay, defeating world number 12 Tommy Paul with a 6-2, 6-2 win. He expressed his confidence on the clay surface, stating that he feels good and is a dangerous player on it.