Defending champion Iga Swiatek endured wind, pressure, and a spirited challenge from Diana Shnaider to claim her spot in yet another clay-court quarterfinal. After a major power outage halted Monday’s matches at the Madrid Open, the world No. 2 kicked off Tuesday’s rescheduled play by grinding out a hard-fought 6-0 6-7(3) 6-4 win over 13th seed Diana Shnaider in a tense 2-hour and 34-minute clash — continuing her remarkable run on her favorite surface.
This victory marks Swiatek’s 17th straight quarterfinal appearance on clay, a streak that began after her 2021 third-round loss to Ashleigh Barty in Madrid. The only woman in the Open Era with a longer streak is Martina Hingis, who reached 19 consecutive clay-court quarterfinals between 1997 and 2002.
Now, Swiatek sets her sights on Madison Keys in the final eight — their first meeting since the American stunned her from match point down at the Australian Open. While Keys won that dramatic encounter, Swiatek leads their rivalry 4-2 and holds a spotless 3-0 record on clay.
Before booking the rematch, Swiatek had to dig deep. After dishing out a 22-minute bagel in the first set — where Shnaider struggled to find her rhythm and sprayed 13 unforced errors — the match flipped dramatically. Shnaider, who came into the…
