Swiatek, 20, who will rise to World No.1 next Monday, took an hour and 16 minutes to best 18-year-old Gauff in a clash between two of the three youngest players in the Top 20. Swiatek has now won a career-best 14 straight matches.
Iga keeps rolling: Swiatek is still undefeated at WTA 1000 events this season. Her current winning streak started with a title run at the first WTA 1000 event of the year in Doha, and continued through her second straight WTA 1000 title at Indian Wells just over a week ago.
Swiatek can still become the fourth woman to win Indian Wells and Miami in the same season, completing the "Sunshine Double." The other women to have pulled off that feat are Stefanie Graf (1994 and 1996), Kim Clijsters (2005) and Victoria Azarenka (2016).
Graf, Clijsters and Azarenka all spent time at World No.1, and Swiatek will also receive that particular title next week. She is guaranteed to ascend to the top of the Hologic WTA Tour singles rankings on Monday and become the 28th woman to hold the World No.1 ranking.
Stat corner: Swiatek defeated Gauff in straight sets in their only prior meeting, en route to another WTA 1000 title last year in Rome. The Polish player improved to 2-0 against the American teen by converting four of her 10 break points on the day.
Kvitova next up for Swiatek
Two-time Wimbledon champion Petra Kvitova will be Swiatek's quarterfinal opponent, in their first meeting.
No.28 seed Kvitova of the Czech Republic prevailed over No.21 seed Veronika Kudermetova 7-6(5), 6-4 in a streaky affair on Monday evening.
Swiatek, who leads the tour in return games won and return points won, claimed nearly 60 percent of points off of the Gauff second serve, as she notched a tour-leading 23rd match-win of the year overall.
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No.2-seeded Swiatek was unable to convert any of her first six break points, but she took control when she used a big backhand return to at last break for a 4-3 lead. Strong hitting by Gauff gave the American two chances to break back in the very next game, but Swiatek held on to that game and, eventually, the set.
Those would be the only two break points Gauff held all day as Swiatek dominated the second set, at one juncture claiming 14 points in a row.
More from Miami: Collins overpowers Jabeur, Saville saves match point to reach QFs
No.2-seeded Swiatek was unable to convert any of her first six break points, but she took control when she used a big backhand return to at last break for a 4-3 lead. Strong hitting by Gauff gave the American two chances to break back in the very next game, but Swiatek held on to that game and, eventually, the set.
Those would be the only two break points Gauff held all day as Swiatek dominated the second set, at one juncture claiming 14 points in a row.
Two-time Wimbledon champion Petra Kvitova will be Swiatek's quarterfinal opponent, in their first meeting.
No.28 seed Kvitova of the Czech Republic prevailed over No.21 seed Veronika Kudermetova 7-6(5), 6-4 in a streaky affair on Monday evening.
Test passed. 14th victory in the books, 23rd for the year.
I'm running out of superlatives at this point. Iga playing like the world number one she'll officially become next Monday.
Will face Kvitova next in what would be their first ever meeting on tour. A match up I have been waiting 2 years to see. Perhaps the first true challenge for Iga.
Both players seemed excited about meeting one another in their post match interviews.
I'm already imagining the huge forehand exchanges, and a lot of sliding on the part of Iga. One hell of a quarterfinal. Bring it.
Jazda Iga!
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