Two-time defending champion Iga Swiatek beat number 21 seed Donna Vekic 6-3 6-4 to reach her third straight quarter final at the Internazionali BNL d’Italia in Rome.
Swiatek has won 14 consecutive match win and 24 straight sets at the Internazionali BNL d’Italia. Barbora Krejcikova was the last player to win a set against Swiatek in the third round in Rome. The only player to have beaten the Polish player at this tournament was Aranxta Rus in the first round in 2020.
Swiatek has extended her winning streak in her head-to-head matches against Vekic to 4-0.
Vekic converted only one of her seven break points. Swiatek converted all three of her break points and hit 19 winners to Vekic’s 14.
Swiatek broke serve at love in the fourth game to take a 3-1 lead and saved saved two break points to hold at deuce for 4-1. Vekic converted her third break point in the seventh game for 3-4, but Swiatek regained her break point in the ninth game to seal the first set 6-4.
The second set went on serve until the ninth game when Swiatek broke serve to take a 5-4 lead. The Polish player saved two break points to serve out the win at deuce.
Swiatek set up a quarter final match against last year’s Wimbledon champion Elena Rybakina.
Swiatek beat Rybakina in the quarter finals in Ostrava in 2021. Rybakina won both of her head-to-head matches against her Polish rival in 2023 in straight sets in the fourth round at the Australian Open (6-4 6-4) and in the Indian Wells semifinals (6-2 6-2). “Donna is an experienced player and can play really well on most surfaces. She put on a lot of pressure but I am happy to handle it and come through. It is not going to be easy against Rybakina. She is in great shape this season. It will be challenging, but I am ready for it and comfortable on day”, said Swiatek.
