Published: 10:13, June 28, 2025
Iga Swiatek reaches first grass final
By Reuters
Poland's Iga Swiatek serves against Italy's Jasmine Paolini in their semifinal match at the WTA tennis tournament in Bad Homburg, Germany, June 27, 2025. (PHOTO / AP)

Fourth-seeded Iga Swiatek of Poland reached her first final of 2025 and her first ever on grass with a swift victory Friday at the Bad Homburg Open in Germany.

Swiatek only faced one break point in a 6-1, 6-3 defeat of No 2 seed Jasmine Paolini of Italy in just 66 minutes. It was the five-time Grand Slam winner's 50th career win against a top-10 opponent -- her first on grass.

Her opponent in Saturday's final will be top-seeded Jessica Pegula, who trailed 5-3 in the second set before rallying for a 6-7 (2), 7-5, 6-1 win against unseeded Czech Linda Noskova. Noskova struck 15 aces and was in control before Pegula swept 10 of the last 11 games to win in 2 hours and 7 minutes.