Swiatek too strong for Jessica Pegula in Italian Open quarter-final

Iga Swiatek swatted aside Jessica Pegula to reach her first individual semi-final of the season at the Italian Open. It has been a difficult start to the year for the former world number one, with her only previous appearance in the last four coming as part of the Polish team at the United Cup in January, but there have been encouraging signs under new coach Francisco Roig. And Swiatek looked much more like the player who won four French Open titles in five years as she raced to a 6-1, 6-2 victory over fifth seed Pegula in Rome in just 67 minutes.

Following on from a similarly brutal dismissal of Naomi Osaka, Swiatek will certainly have made the rest of the women’s tour sit up and take notice. Pegula cut a disconsolate figure and could find no answer to the heavy spin and power of Swiatek, who is bidding to win the title in Rome for a fourth time. Swiatek will face Elina Svitolina in the semi-finals after the seventh seed came from behind to beat Elena Rybakina 2-6, 6-4, 6-4.

Casper Ruud booked his place in the semi-finals of the men's competition by beating Karen Khachanov 6-1, 1-6, 6-2. Ruud dominated the first set but was trailing the second when the match was suspended due to rain. Following a two-hour and 25-minute delay, Khachanov set up a decider but had his serve broken three times in the third set as Ruud wrapped up victory.

Ruud will face Italian 18th seed Luciano Darderi, who beat Rafael Jodar 7-6, 5-7, 6-0 in a late-night clash which lasted more than three hours.