Impressive Clara Tauson shocks Iga Swiatek, snaps 9-Match winning streak

Clara Tauson surprised world No. 3 Iga Swiatek, snapping her 9-match winning streak with a 7-6(1), 6-3 victory. The Dane delivered a phenomenal performance and reached a WTA 1000 quarterfinal for the second time in her career (the first was in Dubai this year, where she lost in the final to Mirra Andreeva).

This marks Tauson's fifth win against a top-10 player and her third of the season. The 22-year-old player got her revenge after three consecutive losses to Swiatek and is guaranteed to reach a career-high ranking of world No. 17. In the quarterfinals, she will face Madison Keys, a match that could put her in the top 15 for the first time in her career.

First Set: Tauson fends off Swiatek's comeback 

In the first set, Tauson showed she had the courage to go for the win, securing the first break in her first opportunity in the third game. The Dane then took a 3-1 lead with her serve without major issues.

It had been a while since Swiatek had to come from behind, and she managed to get four break opportunities in the sixth game and three more in the eighth, but Tauson escaped each time unscathed. The world No. 19 was ahead 5-3, and at 5-4, she had a chance to serve for the set. However, Swiatek reacted, deservedly getting the break and winning three games in a row to take the lead 6-5.

Tauson managed to shake off the break and took everything to a tie-break, where she won every single one of Swiatek's service points and ended up taking the set 7-6(1).

Second Set: Tauson seals shock victory

In the second set, Tauson maintained her momentum, showing a cool head to stay ahead. She was the first to get a break in the fourth game and was up 4-1 just a few minutes later. Just like in the first set, Swiatek pushed on the return, but Tauson was impeccable, winning 78% of her first-serve points throughout the set against just 57% for the Pole.

The six-time Grand Slam champion—just like in the first set—managed to get a break when all seemed lost, cutting the deficit to 4-3 and getting a chance to level the score on her serve. However, she had a shaky service game, in which Tauson took advantage of the second serves and broke back on her third opportunity.

This time, the Dane had the chance to serve for the match again, and this time, she didn't fail. Tauson closed out the victory 7-6(1), 6-3 and secured her return to the quarterfinals of a WTA 1000.

Swiatek's path to No. 2 blocked after tournament exit

After Coco Gauff's elimination on Saturday, the path seemed clear for Iga Swiatek in the tournament, especially considering Aryna Sabalenka's absence. She was one of only three top-10 players remaining in the competition, along with Madison Keys and Amanda Anisimova.

The Pole had a chance to ascend to world No. 2 again if she won the title, but unfortunately, she was unable to advance. Nevertheless, Swiatek had shown good form during the week with her wins against Guo Hanyu and Eva Lys, and she managed to find her rhythm on hardcourts ahead of her next challenges. Swiatek will compete in the Cincinnati Open in a week and then the US Open.

Match Statistics Tauson vs. Swiatek