Iga Swiatek now 10-1 against Coco Gauff, awaits Rome final opponent

In previewing Thursday's Rome semifinal between Iga Swiatek and Coco Gauff, Steve Tignor wrote, "This may be a Swiatek win, and a chance for Gauff to gauge her clay game against the gold standard."

Correct on both counts: Swiatek won, 6-4, 6-3, and Gauff's clay game—while perhaps Top 5 on tour—is still a great distance behind the Polish pacesetter's.

Swiatek, who is now 10-1 against Gauff in their still young careers, is often doling out 6-0 and 6-1 sets on her favorite surface. While Gauff avoided that today, it's cold comfort to a player who surely has goals comparable to Swiatek's, if not her all-around game.

This was their first meeting since colliding in last year's WTA Finals, a 6-0, 7-5 victory for Swiatek. That was their fifth match-up in 2023, and while it took some time for them to cross paths this season, familar patterns emerged.

Gauff's second serve—something she is trying to shore up, after her incandescant summer—was a liability; she won just 14 of 38 points with it. Swiatek relentlessly targeted Gauff's weaker forehand, which forced the American into playing 11 break points. She saved seven, but the constant pressure was too much to withstand. Gauff has one win against Swiatek (last year in Cincinnati), and she's lost every other match they've played in straight sets.

Next up for Swiatek in Rome could be Aryna Sabalenka, in a rematch of their classic Madrid final. Alternatively, it could Danielle Collins, who is putting forth a spring akin to Gauff's "Summer of Coco."

Next up for Gauff? Trying to reprise her form from that summer—and figuring out another approach to facing Swiatek. Unfortunately for Coco, Iga is even better on the terre battue.