ROME: Iga Swiatek gave another indication that she might be back to her brilliant best after destroying Jessica Pegula 6-1, 6-2 at the Foro Italico on Wednesday and breezing into the Italian Open semifinals. A three-time champion in Rome, Swiatek took little more than an hour to take care of fifth seed Pegula on center court, without facing a single break point. It was a show of force on her preferred surface not seen since she last won the French Open two years ago, and gave Swiatek her first semifinal appearance of the season. “I’ve been playing a bit differently, I would say.

Iga Swiatek drops just one game as she races past Elisabetta Cocciaretto to set up an intriguing Italian Open fourth-round tie against Naomi Osaka.

Iga Swiatek produced a statement victory in a battle between two of the game’s best, mercilessly dismantling Naomi Osaka 6-2, 6-1 to return to the quarter-finals of the Italian…