Top-seeded Iga Swiatek of Poland eased past Wimbledon champion Marketa Vondrousova 7-6 (3), 6-1 to reach her 10th semifinal of the year on Friday at the Western & Southern Open in Mason, Ohio.

They played a tightly contested first set at the Cincinnati-area event, with the 10th-seeded Czech southpaw causing Swiatek problems with her serve. Swiatek lost serve twice in the opening set, but said she regained her footing just in time and never let off the gas.

“It’s not easy to adjust to her spin,” Swiatek said. “After the first set, I was determined to fight for every ball. I was more focused (in the second set) and knew what worked. I knew exactly how I should play.”

Playing in her 12th quarterfinal in 13 events in 2023, Swiatek’s win sets up a semifinal matchup against No. 7 seed Coco Gauff, who defeated Italian qualifier Jasmine Paolini 6-3, 6-2.

It took just 72 minutes for Gauff, 19, to take down Paolini and reach the third WTA 1000 semifinal of her career (Rome 2021, Dubai 2023).

It didn’t come without some adversity. Gauff dropped the first two games of each set before roaring back both times. She won 16 of her 23 first-service points (69.6 percent) along with 10 of her 19 points on second serve (52.6 percent).

In an all-Czech quarterfinal match, Karolina Muchova won the first three games before Marie Bouzkova had to retire due to a right thigh injury.

That allowed Muchova to reach the first WTA 1000 semifinal of her career. She will face either No. 2 seed Aryna Sabalenka of Belarus or No. 5 seed Ons Jabeur of Tunisia, who were scheduled to play the final quarterfinal match of the women’s draw later Friday night.

–Field Level Media