Iga Swiatek crushes Petra Martic to make last four at Madrid Open, will face Veronika Kudermetova

Iga Swiatek crushed Petra Martic 6-0 6-3 to make the last four at the Madrid Open, where she will face Veronika Kudermetova. It was another vintage display from the world No. 1, who gave Martic no room to breathe in the first set — earning her seventh bagel of the year — before wrapping up the victory in the second set.

Ad Swiatek had been pushed all the way in the previous round by Ekaterina Alexandrova, admitting it «wasn't easy», but there was no hint of that sort of test during the early skirmishes on Wednesday night in the Spanish capital. WTA MadridSwiatek edges past Alexandrova to reach first Madrid quarter-final — 'That wasn't easy'YESTERDAY AT 09:29 «I feel like I'm playing better and better every day,» Swiatek said afterwards. «This is pretty great, because I didn't know if that was going to be possible at the beginning of the tournament.

But I was patient and I was hoping to get that feeling, and today was for sure a good day.» The world No. 1 opened up by holding serve, before breaking a stunned Martic to love. A mild scare occurred in game three as Swiatek faced down a break point, but that was saved and with it went any resistance from Martic, who won just three more points in the set as Swiatek romped away with it.

Swiatek got straight on the board in set two and it was then the Croatian's turn to see if she could stop the rot. And she could, putting together a fine sequence of points to level up at 1-1 and trigger a standing ovation from some inside La Caja Magica, who were no doubt keen to see more tennis. Another comfortable Swiatek hold followed, and Martic did the same thereafter as the encounter belatedly became a contest.