Iga Swiatek encountered stiff resistance from Beatriz Haddad Maia in the quarter-final of the 2024 Madrid Open, but she still won, securing a semi-final spot.
The Pole made the Madrid Open final last year, showcasing that while it might not be an ideal event for her in terms of conditions, she's still good enough to go all the way, showing how strong a player she is.
She didn't win the trophy because Aryna Sabalenka proved slightly better, but she's certainly motivated to change that this year. So far, she hasn't had any troubles this week, but she certainly had some minor issues against Haddad Maia.
It's not an easy matchup because the Brazilian can be quite tough with the baseline play. She bested Swiatek once before but couldn't quite do it this time around.
The opening set started better for the world number one, who took an early break and led 4-1. What happened next is something that generally doesn't happen to Swiatek. She lost five games in a row to lose the opening set 4-6.
That was not ideal, but she came back strong in the next set — very strong. The final score of that second set was 6-0 as Swiatek unleashed some of her best tennis, which she played all week long.
Many assumed that she would finish the job after that set, and she did just that. Haddad Maia stopped her opponent's game-winning streak but then lost her serve at 1-2 in the final set, after which Swiatek took a 4-1 lead.
Swiatek was in full control of the match, as her baseline play was working really well. Haddad Maia is a decently clutch player, but she's not known for sensational comebacks, and it didn't happen this time around, either.
Swiatek won the match 4-6, 6-0, 6-2 to secure the semi-final in Madrid, awaiting the winner of the match between Ons Jabeur and Madison Keys.