Sabalenka and Swiatek set for French Open semi-final blockbuster
PARIS - The French Open women's singles semi-finals take centre stage at Roland Garros on Thursday, when world number one Aryna Sabalenka meets four-times champion Iga Swiatek in a match worthy of a title clash.
In the other last-four encounter, wildcard Lois Boisson will look to continue her inspired run on home soil when she plays 2022 runner-up Coco Gauff.
SABALENKA, SWIATEK SET FOR BLOCKBUSTER
Belarusian Sabalenka has been the poster girl for Grand Slam consistency in the last few years, storming into the semi-finals in nine of the last 10 majors she has competed in to emerge as a genuine threat to Swiatek's supremacy on Parisian clay.
The 27-year-old top seed's growing composure and mental fortitude on the biggest stage means that the wobbles she once experienced have become distant memories, while her retooled serve and power can blow away opponents on any surface.
She has harnessed all those qualities during her run to the last four without conceding a set, dismantling Olympic champion Zheng Qinwen 7-6(3) 6-3 in the last round.
Swiatek, who is on a 26-match winning run at the French Open, represents the biggest test in Sabalenka's bid to win a maiden Roland Garros title and add more silverware to her trophy cabinet that contains U.S. and Australian Open crowns.
Having locked down the top ranking since April 2022, the duo renew their rivalry having become a little closer after making a TikTok video at last year's season-ending WTA Finals in Riyadh and practising together thereafter.
"Before, there wasn't any communication or any practice with her, but now we're getting better. We get along and we practise more often. We know each other well," Sabalenka said.
"We've had a lot of great battles in the past ... I'm super excited to go out there and to fight and to do everything I need to get the win."
GULF IN CLASS ON CLAY
Fifth seed Swiatek leads the overall head-to-head record with Sabalenka at 8-4 but the gulf in class on clay is a little more evident at 5-1 in favour of the 24-year-old.
Having moved on from a distracting doping case for which she served a month-long ban last year, Swiatek has had to fight hard at her favourite hunting ground this year to beat Elena Rybakina in three sets before overcoming Elina Svitolina last time out.
Swiatek may need to call upon that battling mentality again when she faces a hungry Sabalenka, whose only claycourt victory over the reigning Paris champion came in the 2023 Madrid final.
"I know what I'm fighting about and I know that my game is somewhere there even when the moment is tough. At Roland Garros I should always push until the end and fight for everything ... I maybe believe it a bit more," Swiatek said.
"I don't know if she elevates my game. Against every player, we play a different way so it's hard to compare. But our rivalry is pushing both of us."
GAUFF FACES BOISSON, FRENCH CROWD
American second seed Coco Gauff will be up against not just a plucky Boisson but the partisan French crowd as well when the 2022 runner-up takes on the wildcard in the other semi-final, hoping to take a step towards a second major title.
"I've been in crowds where they're 99% for me, so I don't have an issue with it. I hope everyone will be respectful and things. If not, it's cool," Gauff said before the 361st-ranked Boisson stunned sixth seed Mirra Andreeva.
"It makes sports exciting and I can't get irritated at the fact that someone's rooting for their hometown hero, because I would do the same. It's something I'll mentally prepare for if it were to happen and expect and be ready for."
FRENCH OPEN ORDER OF PLAY ON THURSDAY (prefix number denotes seeding)
COURT PHILIPPE-CHATRIER (not before 1300 GMT)
1-Aryna Sabalenka (Belarus) v 5-Iga Swiatek (Poland)
Lois Boisson (France) v 2-Coco Gauff (United States) REUTERS
Join ST's Telegram channel and get the latest breaking news delivered to you.
Hashtags
Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles
Straits Times
an hour ago
- Straits Times
‘Privileged' Coco Gauff eyes French Open crown against world No. 1 Aryna Sabalenka
Coco Gauff (above) swept into her third Grand Slam singles final with a win against French hero Lois Boisson on June 5. PHOTO: AFP PARIS – Coco Gauff said she will try to downplay the magnitude of the French Open final against Aryna Sabalenka on June 7 and learn from her runner-up finish at Roland Garros three years ago. The 21-year-old American swept into her third Grand Slam singles final with a 6-1, 6-2 win that put an abrupt end to surprise French hero Lois Boisson's improbable run in Paris. Gauff lost the 2022 French Open final to Polish star Iga Swiatek before beating Sabalenka a year later to capture her first Major title at the US Open. She believes she is a much more confident player than the teenager beaten in her maiden Grand Slam final. 'My first final here I was super nervous, and I kind of wrote myself off before the match even happened,' said Gauff, the world No. 2 behind Sabalenka of Belarus. 'Obviously now I have a lot more confidence just from playing a Grand Slam final before and doing well in one. I think going into Saturday I'll just give it my best shot and try to be as calm and relaxed as possible.' Gauff said that the experience of losing to Swiatek three years ago gave her fresh perspective she hopes will serve her well for the June 7 showpiece. 'Everybody is dealing with way bigger things in life than losing a final,' she added. 'I'm sure there are hundreds of players that would kill to win or lose a final, so just knowing that, making me realise how lucky and privileged I am to be in this position. 'At first I thought it would be the end of the world if I lost, and you know, the sun still rose the next day. So knowing, regardless of the result, the sun will still rise.' The American dominated from the outset against Boisson on June 5 to extinguish the host nation's hopes of a first French Open winner since Mary Pierce in 2000. But a much tighter contest likely awaits her against Sabalenka. She has a 5-5 record against the Belarusian but lost to her on clay in the Madrid final in May. Gauff knows she will need to be at her best to counter Sabalenka's power. Her 27-year-old opponent cranked it up in the third set to blow away three-time defending champion Swiatek in the first semi-final and snap the Pole's 26-match winning streak at the French Open. 'She can come up with some big shots and big winners pretty much at all areas of the court,' said Gauff. 'She's a fighter as well, she's going to stay in the match regardless of the scoreline. Anything can happen on Saturday. But I'm looking forward to it, and glad to be going up against a world No. 1 too.' Hardcourt specialist Sabalenka was told for years that clay courts were not her surface, but after reaching her first Roland Garros final she said that winning the French Open would mean the world to her. Her collection of three Grand Slam titles comprises back-to-back Australian Open crowns in 2023 and 2024 plus the US Open title last season. Both of those Grand Slam tournaments are played on hardcourts that suit the Belarusian's power game perfectly. 'Well, it's going to mean everything to me and my team, because I have to say that almost like (my) whole life I've been told that it (clay surface) is not my thing and then I didn't have any confidence,' she said. 'We've been able to develop my game so much. I have to say that for the clay I got better, much better physically. I think it's really important on clay to be physically strong and ready to work for each point. 'If I'll be able to get this trophy, it's just going to mean the world for us. I'm ready to go in that final and to fight, fight for every point and give everything I have to give to get the win.' AFP, REUTERS Join ST's Telegram channel and get the latest breaking news delivered to you.
Independent Singapore
8 hours ago
- Independent Singapore
Sabalenka and Swiatek is near the French Open finals, but one must win to continue and claim the No. 1 spot
PARIS, FRANCE: Tennis stars Aryna Sabalenka and Iga Swiatek, two of WTA's top players for the past three years, will have another face-off at the French Open semifinals–their seventh clay-court match. This number is the highest between two women since Arantxa Sánchez Vicario and Conchita Martínez in the 1990s. What is it for Aryna Sabalenka? Sabalenka continued to dominate the Tour and is in strong form after defeating No. 8 Zheng Qinwen with a final scoreline of 7-6(3), 6-3. This is the athlete's seventh semifinal of the season, and her 11th Grand Slam semifinal overall–the most by any player since Sharapova at Roland Garros 14 years ago. Sabalenka embraced the World No. 1 ranking, and she remained confident and determined to go further in Paris after falling short in her previous semifinal at the event against Karolina Muchova. With this, Sabalenka admitted, 'I love tough challenges. I think these are the matches where you actually improve as a player and where you get much stronger, and I'm always excited to face someone strong and then someone who can challenge me. She added, 'I go out there and I fight, and I'm ready to leave everything I have to get the win.' Currently, Sabalenka has an outstanding Gram Slam record of 89 wins and 24 losses. She also has a winning percentage of .788, coming second to Swiatek's .830. Sabalenka is clearly ready and believes that this is her moment. What is it for Iga Swiatek? Iga Swiatek, being the three-time defending champion, has been feeling a lot of pressure as an athlete. However, she made an impressive comeback against Elena Rybakina, and she also defeated Elina Svitolina with a final scoreline of 6-1, 7-5. The results of these two matches showed that she remains resilient and dedicated to reaching her goals for this season. She made an impressive comeback against Elena Rybakina and also defeated Elina Svitolina with a final scoreline of 6-1, 7-5. Swiatek successfully finished her 26th win at the French Open, with three aces consecutively to end the match. In her last match with Aryna Sabalenka, Sabalenka won at the Cincinnati semifinals with a 6-3, 6-3. However, Swiatek admitted that the results did not matter anymore as it happened a long time ago. Swiatek expressed: 'For sure you need to be 100 percent… and you need to be there, but I wouldn't say it's different against Coco or against good players overall… But for sure, our rivalry is pushing both of us, I think, but it's not only about the level of tennis. It's about like everything, how we work, and how professional we are.' Swiatek has won 40 of her 42 matches at Roland-Garros. The athlete is now hoping for her four-time French Open title, and she is committed to winning going into this match. The question now is: Will Swiatek be successful in winning her fourth consecutive French Open title? Or will Sabalenka break this streak as she has now reached the semifinals once again? See also Netball: Singapore confident of defending Nations Cup crown
Straits Times
10 hours ago
- Straits Times
French Open title would ‘mean everything' for Aryna Sabalenka
PARIS - Aryna Sabalenka said winning a first French Open title would 'mean everything' after she knocked out three-time defending champion Iga Swiatek in the semi-finals on June 5. The world number one snapped Swiatek's French Open winning streak at 26 matches with a 7-6 (7/1), 4-6, 6-0 success and will face second seed Coco Gauff on June 7 for the title. Sabalenka is targeting a fourth Grand Slam title and first not on hard courts, after winning last year's US Open and the Australian Open back-to-back in 2023 and 2024. 'It's going to mean everything to me and my team, because I have to say that almost like my whole life I've been told it (clay) is not my thing and then I didn't have any confidence,' the Belarusian told reporters. 'In the past I don't know how many years, we've been able to develop my game so much, so I feel really comfortable on this surface and actually enjoy playing on clay. 'If I'll be able to get this trophy, it's just going to mean the world for us.' Sabalenka edged a topsy-turvy first set that featured eight breaks of serve in a tie-break, before Swiatek hit back to level the match. The finale turned out to be a complete anti-climax, as Swiatek made 12 unforced errors in the third set and won only six points. 'The way the third set went, it was actually shocking for me, to be honest,' admitted Sabalenka. Swiatek has still not reached a WTA final since lifting the Coupe Suzanne Lenglen 12 months ago. She showed signs of a revival on the Paris clay where she has dominated since lifting the title as a teenager in 2020, but her game deserted her in the deciding set as she fell to only the third French Open defeat of her career. 'I feel like I played better than weeks before,' said Swiatek. 'I'm just happy that I have this place to come back to every year and just try to push myself.' Sabalenka has now won their last two meetings, and five of 13 in total. This was the first time the pair, the dominant players in women's tennis of the past few years, have gone head-to-head at a Grand Slam tournament since Swiatek's win in the 2022 US Open semi-finals en route to the title. Sabalenka will be the favourite to win the trophy when she takes on Gauff, who she lost to in the 2023 US Open final. 'It felt like a final (against Swiatek), but I know that the job is not done yet, and I have to go out there on Saturday, and I have to fight and I have to bring my best tennis,' added the 27-year-old Sabalenka. 'I have to work for that title, especially if it's going to be Coco. 'I'm ready. I'm ready to go out, and I'm ready to fight. And I'm ready to do everything it's going to take to get the win.' American Gauff was too strong for 361st-ranked French hero Lois Boisson, easing to a 6-1, 6-2 win in the second semi-final. Sabalenka's strong start Sabalenka roared out of the blocks, building a 4-1 lead with a double-break, only for Swiatek to battle back and edge in front on serve. Sabalenka did manage to create a chance to serve out the set, but Swiatek broke again to force a tie-break as the Belarusian lashed a groundstroke long. The three-time Grand Slam champion finally got the first set on the board, though, blasting through the breaker as Swiatek eventually cracked. The pair belatedly stabilised behind their serves after more early breaks in the second, albeit too late for Sabalenka in the set as Swiatek held to love to force a decider. The four-time champion had never lost a three-set match at the French Open, but she wilted under the pressure in a disappointing final set that lasted just 22 minutes. AFP Join ST's Telegram channel and get the latest breaking news delivered to you.
