Iga Swiatek sets up all-Polish Wuhan Open semi-final against Maja Chwalinska

The six-time Grand Slam champion defeated the American 6-4, 6-1 in one hour and 33 minutes to reach the last four in Wuhan for the first time. She will now face her fellow Pole for a place in the final, marking the first all-Polish semi-final at a WTA-level event in the Open Era.

Swiatek had to work hard for the opening set against Li, who arrived in the quarter-finals after upsetting world number two Aryna Sabalenka and recording her 100th tour-level victory. The American threatened to take control at times, but Swiatek held firm under pressure and converted her early advantage to claim the set after 56 minutes.

The contest became more straightforward for Swiatek in the second set, as she won seven of the final eight games to secure her third consecutive straight-sets victory at the tournament.

Swiatek's victory over Li was another milestone in her career, making her the fourth player since 2009, and the only active player, to reach the semi-finals at all 10 current WTA 1000 tournaments.

The upcoming meeting will be particularly significant for both players, who have known each other since their junior careers. They were doubles partners and won European Junior Championships titles together at under-14 and under-16 level before finishing runners-up in the girls' doubles at the 2017 Australian Open.

Their only previous professional meeting came at an ITF event in Stockholm in 2016, when Swiatek won 6-2, 6-3. Saturday's encounter will be their first at WTA Tour level.

Chwalinska earned her place in the semi-finals with a hard-fought 6-0, 3-6, 7-5 victory over Maria Sakkari, taking two hours and 35 minutes to overcome the Greek.

The 25-year-old made a dominant start, using her variety and placement to unsettle Sakkari, but the former world number three responded strongly in the second set to force a decider.

Both players held serve through the opening 11 games of the final set before Chwalinska found the decisive breakthrough, capitalising on Sakkari's late errors to seal her first WTA 1000 semi-final.

She has won seven of her nine matches during her Asian swing, including her first two victories over top-20 opponents.

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