"Iconic if Coco Gauff & Danielle Collins end their pigeonizers" - Fans react to Iga Swiatek & Aryna Sabalenka's dominance vs Italian Open SF opponents

Iga Swiatek and Aryna Sabalenka's dominant track records against Coco Gauff and Danielle Collins, respectively, have sparked a discussion among tennis fans. The discourse has been fueled by the anticipation surrounding these matchups taking center stage in the semifinals of the 2024 Italian Open.

Swiatek booked her place in the semifinals of the WTA 1000 event with a commanding 6-1, 6-3 win over Madison Keys. Meanwhile, Gauff set up their blockbuster semifinal clash by beating Zheng Qinwen 7-6(4), 6-1.

The World No. 1 enters the highly anticipated match as the overwhelming favorite, given her dominant 9-1 head-to-head record against Gauff. Although the American clinched her first win over Swiatek in the 2023 Cincinnati Open semifinals, she has lost both their subsequent encounters in straight sets since then.

On the other side of the draw, Sabalenka triumphed 6-2, 6-4 over Jelena Ostapenko in the quarterfinals. Collins, meanwhile, set the stage for the second semifinal clash with a 6-4, 6-3 win over Victoria Azarenka.

Like the Iga Swiatek and Coco Gauff matchup, the Belarusian enjoys a flawless record against Collins, having won all five of their previous matches. Ahead of the Italian Open semifinals, the lopsided head-to-head records began circulating on social media.

Several fans expressed their fervent desire to witness Coco Gauff and Danielle Collins overcome their poor records against their opponents and set up a thrilling all-American final at the WTA 1000 event.

"I hope the both turn it around and make it to the finals together," one fan commented.

"Not me chanting "USA! USA! USA!"" another fan chimed in.

"It would be so iconic if both coco and DanYell ended their pigeonizers tomorrow and maximized their joint slay in the final," said another.

Other fans, meanwhile, conveyed their belief that Iga Swiatek and Aryna Sabakenka would continue their dominance and meet in a rematch of the recent Madrid Open final, where the Pole claimed a hard-fought 7-5, 4-6, 7-6(7) victory.

"Wow, these girls really want to play in the finals together again," one fan posted.

"Iga-Saba, repeat from Madrid," another fan shared.

"I would love to see a Gauff-Collins final in Rome, but the likelihood of that is probably less than 1%," said yet another.

However, one fan challenged the perception that Swiatek and Sabalenka's wins are foregone conclusions, recalling Roger Federer and Novak Djokovic's shock losses to Marin Cilic and Kei Nishikori, respectively, in the semifinals of the 2014 US Open.

"Why am I getting flashbacks to USO 2014 when everyone and their mother were expecting Djokovic vs Federer final and we got Nishikori vs Cilic," the fan commented.

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"Iga Swiatek is a tough opponent to play, especially on clay, there's a reason why she’s No. 1" - Coco Gauff ahead of Italian Open SF

Coco Gauff (left) and Iga Swiatek

Following her win over Zheng Qinwen, Coco Gauff looked ahead to her Italian Open semifinal clash against Iga Swiatek, joking that she cannot reveal her strategies to counter her past struggles against the Pole.

"I can't tell you," she joked in her post-match interview.

The American also lavished praise on the World No. 1, acknowledging her as a formidable opponent on clay and expressing her excitement for the match.

"She is a tough opponent to play, especially on clay. There's a reason why she’s No. 1. But I feel like I'm getting better with each match. I'm really excited to play the semifinal in two days," she added.

Gauff will need to deliver her best performance to pull off her second win over Iga Swiatek, having lost all three of their previous matches on clay without winning a set.