Daijiworld Media Network - Rome

Rome, May 13: Iga Swiatek produced one of her most commanding performances of the season to defeat Jessica Pegula 6-1, 6-2 and secure a place in the semifinals of the Italian Open, marking her deepest tournament run of 2026 so far.

Playing on her preferred clay surface at the Foro Italico in Rome, the former World No. 1 looked back to her dominant best as she dismantled Pegula in just 66 minutes with aggressive baseline play, precise movement, and flawless serving.

The emphatic victory comes at an important stage of the season for Swiatek, who had struggled to progress beyond the quarterfinal stage in several tournaments earlier this year despite promising campaigns at the Australian Open, Doha, Indian Wells, and Stuttgart. Her performance in Rome now signals a strong return to form ahead of the French Open.

Swiatek had shown gradual improvement throughout the tournament after dropping a set earlier against Caty McNally. She then produced increasingly confident displays against Elisabetta Cocciaretto and Naomi Osaka before delivering her most complete performance yet against Pegula.

The quarterfinal encounter had attracted attention due to the competitive nature of their recent rivalry and Pegula’s consistent form over the past year. However, the American was unable to match the intensity and depth of Swiatek’s groundstrokes, while the Polish star remained untouchable on serve and did not face a single break point during the match.

Working alongside coach Francesco Roig during the clay-court season, Swiatek appears focused on peaking at the right time as she prepares to pursue a fifth title at Roland Garros.

For Pegula, the defeat brought an end to an otherwise strong campaign in Rome, where she had advanced comfortably with straight-set victories over Zeynep Sonmez, Rebeka Masarova, and Anastasia Potapova.

Swiatek will now face either Elena Rybakina or Elina Svitolina in the semifinals as she continues her bid for another Italian Open title.