Made of steel: Iga Swiatek comes from the brink to defeat Caroline Garcia and reach China Open semi-final
WTA
Iga Swiatek is the first player through to the semi-finals at the 2023 China Open after surging past Caroline Garcia in a match she so very nearly lost in Beijing.
But the now World No.2 produced some mighty resolve to dent the charge of the determined Frenchwoman 6-7, 7-6, 6-1.
While it was close though, this was for a reason as both dominated on their serves and a single break point wasn't brought up. During the opening tiebreak, it was one of 18 points which saw Garcia claim it 10-8. It was one that could've gone either way, but six aces brought the in-form Garcia over the line.
Swiatek though jumped out into the lead to begin Set Two going 4-1 up, but Garcia was able to pull all of it back before heading towards a tiebreak. One that she was two points away from winning.
This was at 5-5 after Swiatek had initially taken a 4-0 lead. But in the end, the Pole added her first set on the board and after two gruelling and matched sets, Garcia's wheels fell off as Swiatek thrashed her in the final set 6-1.
It's a sixth WTA 1000 semi-final of the season and the first time since Simona Halep in 2015 that a player has reached six in a season. Staying power throughout a period of her career where questions have finally began to be answered about her consistency.
Samuel GillEditor-in-Chief
Samuel Gill is the Chief Content Officer (CCO) of TennisUpToDate.com, a role he has held since 2020. He is responsible for editorial governance across the platform, including setting content standards, overseeing accuracy and consistency, and guiding long-term editorial strategy. Since joining, he has contributed more than 10,000 articles and editorial pieces across the TennisUpToDate network, playing a central role in the daily operation and development of the site.
Based in Leicester, Samuel has a broad background in tennis media. In his current role, he works closely with editors and writers to ensure coverage meets clear journalistic standards, with particular attention to verification, consistency, and timely updates when new information becomes available.
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