Iga Swiatek beats Jessica Pegula in Rome Italian Open

Poland’s Iga Swiatek has stormed into the Italian Open semi-finals after a ruthless 6-1 6-2 victory over American Jessica Pegula on Wednesday.

The 24-year-old needed little over an hour to dismantle the fifth seed on the Rome clay.

Dropping just three games against Naomi Osaka in the previous round laid down a clear marker for her rivals.

The manner in which the world number four swept aside Pegula served as yet another statement victory.

Regaining confidence under new coach Roig

Swiatek appointed Francisco Roig last month and is starting to regain the level which made her so feared on the surface.

The four-time French Open champion has also been leaning on 22-time major winner Rafael Nadal for advice on the practice courts.

“The stuff we did in the last [few] weeks has helped and I have a lot of confidence in my shots,” Swiatek said.

Going back to basics with Roig appears to have restored her self-belief after a turbulent period.

Known as the ‘Queen of Clay’, the Polish star won four titles in Paris between 2020 and 2024.

She lost her invincibility on the red dirt last year after tweaking her playing style under previous coach Wim Fissette.

Fissette tried to implement a more aggressive baseline approach, which ultimately caused her to become ragged when matches went against her.

Against Pegula, the returning clay-court specialist played with the high intensity and relentlessness demanded by her new coaching setup.

Swamping the 2024 US Open finalist’s second serve with deep returning was a notable feature of Wednesday’s quarter-final clash.

Playing with more patience and a higher margin for error allowed her to draw consistent mistakes from her American opponent.

Tougher challenges will surely lie ahead in the Italian capital.

Either Kazakhstani second seed Elena Rybakina or Ukraine’s seventh seed Elina Svitolina await the resurgent star in the final four.