Swiatek Reaches Madrid Open Final as Lehecka Advances After Medvedev Retires

World No. 1 Iga Swiatek cruised into the returns, open, final, sets of the Madrid Open on Thursday, defeating American Madison Keys 6-1, 6-3 in a dominant semifinal performance. The 22-year-old Polish star made just eight unforced errors in the match, breaking Keys' serve twice in each set to secure her spot in the championship match.

"It was a pretty clean performance and really solid game from myself," Swiatek said after the match. "I'm happy with everything." The top seed will face either world No. 2 Aryna Sabalenka or No. 4 Elena Rybakina in Saturday's final as she seeks her first Madrid Open title and third trophy of the season.

Keys, a former French Open semifinalist, had a disappointing 3-9 record in Madrid prior to this year's event. Despite the loss, the American remained positive about her tournament run. past, scores, second, final "It's been a while since I have won four matches in a row," Keys said. "Lots to build on. It's obviously great momentum going into Rome next week."

In the men's draw, Czech player Jiri Lehecka advanced to his first ATP Masters 1000 last four after third seed Daniil Medvedev retired from their quarterfinal match with an upper thigh injury. Medvedev, the defending champion at next week's Italian Open, lost the first set 6-4 before deciding he could not continue.

"It's never easy in a match like this,"Lehecka said of Medvedev's retirement. "If I were to choose the way how to win this match, it wouldn't be like that. The 30th seed, who knocked out Rafael Nadal on Wednesday, will face Felix Auger-Aliassime in the semifinals after the Canadian received a walkover following top seed Jannik Sinner's withdrawal with a hip problem.

The other men's semifinals will feature Taylor Fritz and Andrey Rublev, who ousted home favorite Carlos Alcaraz in the quarterfinals. With the French open just over three weeks away, the injury concerns for Medvedev and Sinner cast uncertainty over their preparations for the season's second Grand Slam event.

Madrid Open reaches its climax, Swiatek stands ready to solidify her dominance on clay and capture another prestigious title. The men's semifinals promise exciting matchups, but the absence of top players like Medvedev, Sinner, and Alcaraz leaves the door open for new contenders to make their mark on the Masters 1000 stage.

Key Takeaways

• Iga Swiatek defeats Madison Keys 6-1, 6-3 to reach Madrid Open final.
• Swiatek to face Aryna Sabalenka or Elena Rybakina in Saturday's final.
• Jiri Lehecka advances to ATP Masters 1000 semifinals after Daniil Medvedev's retirement.
• Taylor Fritz and Andrey Rublev to face off in men's semifinals.
• Injuries to Medvedev and Sinner cast uncertainty over French Open preparations.