Iga Swiatek Dominates Coco Gauff, Awaits Rome 2024 Final Showdown
Iga Swiatek showcased her dominance over Coco Gauff, clinching a convincing 6-4, 6-3 victory in a captivating showdown at the Rome semifinals.
The world No. 1 will compete against Danielle Collins or world No. 2 Aryna Sabalenka in a rematch of their Madrid title match.
Steve Tignor said of Iga Swiatek and Coco Gauff’s semifinal match in Rome on Thursday, “This may be a Swiatek win, and a chance for Gauff to gauge her clay game against the gold standard.”
Accurate on both counts: Swiatek prevailed, 6-4, 6-3, and Gauff’s clay game lags far below the Polish pacesetter’s, even though it may rank in the Top 5 on tour.
In their still-young careers, Swiatek is now 10-1 versus Gauff and frequently hands down 6-0 and 6-1 sets on her preferred surface. Even though Gauff managed to avoid that today, it’s not much consolation for a player whose goals are undoubtedly on par with Swiatek’s, if not better overall.
This was their first match since Swiatek defeated her opponent 6-0, 7-5, in the WTA Finals the previous year. It took some time for them to cross paths this season, but familiar patterns emerged. That was their fifth meeting in 2023.
Gauff’s second serve was a liability; she won just 14 of 38 points with it. This is something she is working to improve after her spectacular summer. Gauff’s inferior forehand was the constant target of Swiatek’s pressure, forcing the American to play 11 break points. She managed to preserve seven, but she could not bear the ongoing pressure. Gauff has only defeated Swiatek once, which occurred in Cincinnati last year. The other five matches they’ve played have all ended in straight sets.
Aryna Sabalenka might be Swiatek’s next opponent in Rome, if their historic Madrid final is repeated. Or it might be Danielle Collins, who is promoting a springtime that is similar to Gauff’s “Summer of Coco.”
What’s next for Gauff? trying to get back to where she was that summer and coming up with a different strategy to take on Swiatek. Iga is, regrettably, even more proficient on the terre battue than Coco is.
Iga Swiatek continues to dominate Coco Gauff
“I would have won the match against probably anybody else today,” the American declared after their Rome semifinal.
Coco Gauff, who was playing against Iga Swiatek in Rome on Thursday, appeared and sounded assured as she served at 4–4. With an ace that landed on the T, she made it to 40-0 and said, “Come on!” with conviction. She appeared certain to hold and advance 5–4.
Gauff had a look at a mid-court backhand on the following play. Throughout the previous eight games, she had been hammering that shot nonstop, jumping into it, taking it down the line, hitting winners with it—and, yes, even making a few mistakes. She attempted a drop shot this time, something new. She struck it accurately, but not quite high enough, and the tape was found. The pundits who were calling the game concurred that she made a smart miss and that switching things up will benefit her in the long run. At the moment, I had the same thought.
Regretfully, neither Gauff nor I believe that at this time. At 40–15 in the following point, she hurried and mishit a backhand into the net. At 40-30, Swiatek made it deuce by blocking an attempted return back that was headed toward her head and then hitting a winning forehand. Subsequently, Gauff lost the game after making two consecutive double errors.
We all know what happens when Swiatek gets the break she was hoping for—she flees with the match. She won the first set 6-4 and the second set 6-3 a few minutes later. With the drop-shot miss, Gauff opened the door by a millimeter, and Swiatek, as top players often do, stormed through it.
Also Read: The Intense Showdown Between Iga Swiatek and Aryna Sabalenka at Mutua Madrid Open 2024
I bring up that moment not just because it marked a turning point in the match but also because it illustrates how little leeway Gauff has when facing Swiatek on clay. This is true for almost all of Swiatek’s opponents, but it is particularly true for the American, who is currently 0-4 on dirt and 1-10 against the Pole. The largest barrier standing in Coco’s way of a multi-Slam future is Iga.
In their first meeting of 2024, Gauff undoubtedly had a strike-first strategy in mind, one that was especially tailored for this opponent. When she served, she went larger than usual. When given the opportunity, she didn’t hesitate to move down the line and leaned—or jumped—into her backhand. She used her forehand with the same aggression.
Gauff usually lets this shot get to her, which causes her to strike at it defensively and too near to her body. This time, she aimed for the corners and took it early with a full cut. Gauff gave as good as she got with Swiatek from the baseline for the majority of the day, which hasn’t happened very often in the past.
“I felt like I played pretty well for most of the game,” Gauff remarked. “I probably would have won the match against anybody else today.”
“I felt like I was assertive, which is what I wanted to be. I believe that during certain crucial times, I missed a few balls. That is the essence of aggression. I believe that if I keep playing like this, I’ll be more reliable in that regard.
One of the fundamental rules of improving your game is to play better players. You could see Swiatek pushing a more improved Gauff to the fore these days. One who, instead of depending on her defense and quickness to force mistakes from her opponents, loves the opportunity to attack a forehand crosscourt or power a backhand down the line. She may be more adept at throwing high balls to Swiatek’s backhand, which is a strategy that served her well during her previous Cincinnati summer.
Gauff remarked, “She’s a great player, really.” “You must perform at the highest level possible. I believe I occasionally did it. I believe that I fell short in the crucial moments.
The first-strike style that Gauff was attempting to play today is likewise mastered by Swiatek. Swiatek claimed she always felt like she could do whatever she wanted out there, even though the match was closer than the final score of 6-4, 6-3. She was unaffected by Gauff’s hostility, to put it another way.
“Playing a semifinal match against a top player is nice because it gives you a sense of confidence to play your game and enjoy it,” Swiatek remarked.
It’s understandable that Gauff would like to play Swiatek at Roland Garros once more. Even though Swiatek is eliminating her from competitions and likely discouraging her at the time, she is improving her as a player.
