New Delhi: Polish star Iga Swiatek staged a remarkable recovery to win a thrilling quarterfinal against the fifth-seeded American Madison Keys in the Madrid Open. The second-seeded Pole made a stunning comeback after losing the first set 0-6 and won the next two sets 6-3, 6-2 to clinch the match in an exhilarating three-setter.
The incredible win kept Swiatek on track to defend her title in Madrid.
Keys overpowered Swiatek in the opening set of the quarterfinal, but the five-time Grand Slam champion showed immense grit and determination to overcome a tough challenge from the American.
Swiatek termed the encounter as one of the weirdest of his career.
“It was one of the weirdest matches I played,” Swiatek said after the win.
“Maddie was playing just perfectly at the beginning and I wasn’t really proactive with anything. I let Maddie do more mistakes by just putting the ball back and the momentum changed.”
Swiatek and Keys were meeting for the first time since their epic semifinal match at the Australian Open 2025. Keys emerged victorious in the epic contest after Swiatek squandered a match point and missed out on a golden opportunity to close the match.
Swiatek on course to claim successive titles in Madrid
The Polish ace will next face either Coco Gauff or Mirra Andreeva.
Swiatek is aiming to reach her third straight Madrid final and claim the title for the second year running. Last year, she beat Aryna Sabalenka in the summit clash and avenged her 2023 final loss to the Belarusian.
Meanwhile, world number one, Sabalenka, will take on 24th-seed Marta Kostyuk in her quarterfinal match.
Since winning the 2024 French Open, Swiatek hasn’t managed to reach the semifinals at any tournament.
Play happened without disruptions for the second consecutive day at the Caja Magica tennis complex. A major blackout on Monday brought Spain and Portugal to a standstill and resulted in 20 matches being postponed.
Madrid Open; Iga Swiatek kept her bid alive to reach a third straight Madrid final and claim the title for the second year running. Tennis Sports News: Latest Cricket News, Cricket Live Score, Sports Breaking News from Sports Today
