Briton Emma Raducanu’s winning streak ended with a 7-6 (2), 6-3 loss to Poland’s Iga Swiatek in the quarter-finals of the Porsche Grand Prix on Friday.
Raducanu (303e) has had some of her best moments since winning the U.S. Open recently with two wins at the Billie Jean King Cup last week and two more in Stuttgart.
However, it was not enough to defeat Swiatek (first), who is seeking a third title in a row in Stuttgart, in a crucial clay court tournament ahead of the French Open next month.
“It was a pretty intense match, so I’m happy I was able to maintain that intensity,” Swiatek said.
“I hope she’ll be able to do it,” Swiatek added when asked about Raducanu’s ability to compete for titles again. She has the game to do it, but it’s not easy. »
Raducanu broke Swiatek’s serve in the first game of the match, but the Pole responded in the next game and eventually won the set on a tiebreaker.
Swiatek will face Elena Rybakina in the semifinals, who defeated Jasmine Paolini 6-3, 5-7, 6-3.
For her part, the Ukrainian Marta Kostyuk (27e) needed eight match points to surprise American Coco Gauff (third) 3-6, 6-4, 7-6 (6) in the quarter-finals.
Gauff saved three match points late 5-4 in the final set, then four more during the tiebreaker. Kostyuk herself had saved five match points the day before during her victory against Zheng Qinwen.
“It was very, very close,” admitted Kostyuk. It’s a great feeling to have reached the semi-finals. »
Kostyuk will face Czech Marketa Vondrousova (eighth) in the next round, who defeated Belarusian Aryna Sabalenka (second) 3-6, 6-3 and 7-5.
This is the first time Vondrousova has reached the semi-finals of a tournament since her triumph at Wimbledon last summer.