Iga Świątek showcased her dominance once again on Wednesday afternoon, defeating American eighth seed Emma Navarro in straight sets to advance to the semifinals of the Australian Open in Melbourne. The world No. 2 delivered an emphatic 6-1, 6-2 victory, cementing her status as the tournament’s frontrunner.
Świątek has bulldozed through the competition, dropping just 14 games across all matches and avoiding even the prospect of a tiebreak. Her latest win left opponents and commentators alike searching for the right word to describe her game—many settling on “ruthless.”
“She’s really quick, and she does everything with 100 percent conviction and intensity,” Navarro said. “She’s tough … I guess ‘ruthless’ is a good word.”
“On the tennis court, you kind of need to be ruthless,” she said. “For me, it’s just about focusing on myself and maintaining the same attitude no matter the score. Maybe it looks ruthless, but my goal is to keep winning games, not necessarily to appear that way.”
The match wasn’t without drama. A controversial double-bounce call in the second set sparked debate. At 2-2, Świątek played a shot that replays later showed had bounced twice before she reached it. However, the umpire didn’t catch it, and Navarro, who continued playing, was denied a VAR review after the point.
Navarro addressed the incident post-match, suggesting a rule change might be needed:
“I think it should be allowed to check the replay after the point, even if you play on. It happened so fast. I don’t know if she knew or not, but ultimately, it’s up to the ref to make the call. It is what it is.”
Although Navarro insisted the call didn’t decide the match, she didn’t win another game afterward.
Świątek, for her part, stated she was unsure if the ball had bounced twice in the moment:
“I wasn’t sure if it was a double bounce or if I hit it with my frame. I thought it was the umpire’s job to make that call. I just focused on the next point.”
The victory secures Świątek a semifinal clash against American Madison Keys on Thursday, as the Pole eyes her second Australian Open title.
