Swiatek sweeps past Gauff to reach Rome Open final
Swiatek, the 2021 and 2022 champion, came through 6-4, 6-3 and will face either world number two Aryna Sabalenka or 15th-ranked Danielle Collins for a place in Saturday's final.
Victory on Saturday would make Swiatek only the second woman after Williams in 2013 to win the prestigious Madrid and Rome events back-to-back in the same season.
The 22-year-old Pole defeated third-seed Gauff for the 10th time in their 11 encounters, with her only loss in the series coming last summer in a Cincinnati semi-final.
The top seed spent one and three-quarter hours in dispatching Gauff, the reigning US Open champion.
Swiatek ended with 26 winners and broke four times.
"I'm not thinking about statistics or history," she said after the victory. "I'm just playing day by day.
"It's easier that way, it lets you play more freely.
"I'll just try to play as good as possible in the final, no matter who it is.
"I won't be thinking of any records, there is still work to do."
