By Chris Oddo | @TheFanChild | Friday September 29, 2023
Veronika Kudermetova took out top-seeded Iga Swiatek with a sterling performance to reach the Tokyo semis.
Photo Source: Getty
Iga Swiatek had won all eight sets contested against Veronika Kudermetova but the door slid open for the Russian on Friday in Tokyo after the four-time Grand Slam champion played a loose opening set to end that run.
Swiatek would rally to take the middle set in commanding fashion, but the No.2-ranked Pole could not finish the comeback and went the way of the upset as 19th-ranked Kudermetova hung on to win 6-2, 2-6, 6-4.
"I tried to just believe that I can beat her. Today it happened,” Kudermetova said.
Kudermetova, into her sixth semifinal of the season – and first since June – sets a date with compatriot Anastasia Pavlyuchenkova in the last four.
Pavlyuchenkova notched a 6-2, 7-5 win over Ekaterina Alexandrova to reach her first hard court semifinal since 2019.
In other semifinal action, Jessica Pegula powered past Daria Kasatkina 6-1, 6-0 - the American will face either Maria Sakkari or Caroline Garcia in the semifinal.
Kudermetova has now won four of five against the Top 10, and her last two matches against the Top-2. She defeated Aryna Sabalenka 6-2, 7-6(2) in Berlin this summer. The Russian holds an impressive lifetime clip of 15-17 against the Top 10 (5-3 in 2023).
Swiatek hit 20 unforced errors in a shaky opening set on a hot, sunny day in Tokyo.
The 22-year-old rallied back in the second set, winning eight of the first nine points to set the tone.
In the third set, which saw Kudermetova improve to 12-5 in deciders on the season, the Russian broke for 3-1 and hung on from there.
"In the last game, I just focused on playing the point," Kudermetova said. "I don't need to hit aces. I think that was the key. I was ready to play the rally, not just finish with the serve."