Sabalenka weathers Zheng storm to set up Swiatek semi
World number one Aryna Sabalenka recovered from a slow start to systematically dismantle Paris Olympic champion Zheng Qinwen in a 7-6 (7-3) 6-3 victory that sent her into the French Open semi-finals.
Sabalenka, who suffered her first loss to Zheng in seven career meetings in the Rome quarter-finals last month, went behind early in the opening set at a half-full Court Philippe Chatrier.
China's Zheng, bidding to emulate compatriot Li Na's 2011 triumph at Roland Garros, crushed a powerful forehand winner to break for a 2-1 lead but Sabalenka moved through the gears to level five games later.
The 27-year-old top seed was denied on set point while up 6-5, but shrugged off that disappointment to glide through the tiebreak when errors crept into eighth seed Zheng's game.
The two players swapped breaks in a high octane second set.
A huge forehand winner put Sabalenka 5-3 up and the triple grand slam champion never looked back as she set up a last-four meeting with either 13th seed Elina Svitolina or four-time champion Iga Swiatek.
"It was a true battle and I had no idea how I could break her back and get back into the first set. I didn't start well and I'm glad I found my rhythm and won," said Sabalenka, who took a step closer to her maiden French Open title.
"I think we're all here for one reason. Everyone wants that beautiful trophy. I'm glad I have another opportunity, another semi-final to do better than last time.
"I really hope that by the end of the claycourt season I'm really proud of myself."
Sabalenka will now face four-time champion Swiatek, who won her 26th successive match at Roland Garros when she defeated Elina Svitolina 6-1 7-5. The consecutive wins record on the Parisian red clay is Chris Evert's 29.
Swiatek has won five of the six matches she's played on clay against Sabalenka, including a thrilling three-setter in Spain last year.
"The Madrid final against her is one of the best and most exciting finals that I have played," said Swiatek, who has not won a title or reached a final since her victory at Roland Garros last year.
With AP
World number one Aryna Sabalenka recovered from a slow start to systematically dismantle Paris Olympic champion Zheng Qinwen in a 7-6 (7-3) 6-3 victory that sent her into the French Open semi-finals.
Sabalenka, who suffered her first loss to Zheng in seven career meetings in the Rome quarter-finals last month, went behind early in the opening set at a half-full Court Philippe Chatrier.
China's Zheng, bidding to emulate compatriot Li Na's 2011 triumph at Roland Garros, crushed a powerful forehand winner to break for a 2-1 lead but Sabalenka moved through the gears to level five games later.
The 27-year-old top seed was denied on set point while up 6-5, but shrugged off that disappointment to glide through the tiebreak when errors crept into eighth seed Zheng's game.
The two players swapped breaks in a high octane second set.
A huge forehand winner put Sabalenka 5-3 up and the triple grand slam champion never looked back as she set up a last-four meeting with either 13th seed Elina Svitolina or four-time champion Iga Swiatek.
"It was a true battle and I had no idea how I could break her back and get back into the first set. I didn't start well and I'm glad I found my rhythm and won," said Sabalenka, who took a step closer to her maiden French Open title.
"I think we're all here for one reason. Everyone wants that beautiful trophy. I'm glad I have another opportunity, another semi-final to do better than last time.
"I really hope that by the end of the claycourt season I'm really proud of myself."
Sabalenka will now face four-time champion Swiatek, who won her 26th successive match at Roland Garros when she defeated Elina Svitolina 6-1 7-5. The consecutive wins record on the Parisian red clay is Chris Evert's 29.
Swiatek has won five of the six matches she's played on clay against Sabalenka, including a thrilling three-setter in Spain last year.
"The Madrid final against her is one of the best and most exciting finals that I have played," said Swiatek, who has not won a title or reached a final since her victory at Roland Garros last year.
With AP
World number one Aryna Sabalenka recovered from a slow start to systematically dismantle Paris Olympic champion Zheng Qinwen in a 7-6 (7-3) 6-3 victory that sent her into the French Open semi-finals.
Sabalenka, who suffered her first loss to Zheng in seven career meetings in the Rome quarter-finals last month, went behind early in the opening set at a half-full Court Philippe Chatrier.
China's Zheng, bidding to emulate compatriot Li Na's 2011 triumph at Roland Garros, crushed a powerful forehand winner to break for a 2-1 lead but Sabalenka moved through the gears to level five games later.
The 27-year-old top seed was denied on set point while up 6-5, but shrugged off that disappointment to glide through the tiebreak when errors crept into eighth seed Zheng's game.
The two players swapped breaks in a high octane second set.
A huge forehand winner put Sabalenka 5-3 up and the triple grand slam champion never looked back as she set up a last-four meeting with either 13th seed Elina Svitolina or four-time champion Iga Swiatek.
"It was a true battle and I had no idea how I could break her back and get back into the first set. I didn't start well and I'm glad I found my rhythm and won," said Sabalenka, who took a step closer to her maiden French Open title.
"I think we're all here for one reason. Everyone wants that beautiful trophy. I'm glad I have another opportunity, another semi-final to do better than last time.
"I really hope that by the end of the claycourt season I'm really proud of myself."
Sabalenka will now face four-time champion Swiatek, who won her 26th successive match at Roland Garros when she defeated Elina Svitolina 6-1 7-5. The consecutive wins record on the Parisian red clay is Chris Evert's 29.
Swiatek has won five of the six matches she's played on clay against Sabalenka, including a thrilling three-setter in Spain last year.
"The Madrid final against her is one of the best and most exciting finals that I have played," said Swiatek, who has not won a title or reached a final since her victory at Roland Garros last year.
With AP
World number one Aryna Sabalenka recovered from a slow start to systematically dismantle Paris Olympic champion Zheng Qinwen in a 7-6 (7-3) 6-3 victory that sent her into the French Open semi-finals.
Sabalenka, who suffered her first loss to Zheng in seven career meetings in the Rome quarter-finals last month, went behind early in the opening set at a half-full Court Philippe Chatrier.
China's Zheng, bidding to emulate compatriot Li Na's 2011 triumph at Roland Garros, crushed a powerful forehand winner to break for a 2-1 lead but Sabalenka moved through the gears to level five games later.
The 27-year-old top seed was denied on set point while up 6-5, but shrugged off that disappointment to glide through the tiebreak when errors crept into eighth seed Zheng's game.
The two players swapped breaks in a high octane second set.
A huge forehand winner put Sabalenka 5-3 up and the triple grand slam champion never looked back as she set up a last-four meeting with either 13th seed Elina Svitolina or four-time champion Iga Swiatek.
"It was a true battle and I had no idea how I could break her back and get back into the first set. I didn't start well and I'm glad I found my rhythm and won," said Sabalenka, who took a step closer to her maiden French Open title.
"I think we're all here for one reason. Everyone wants that beautiful trophy. I'm glad I have another opportunity, another semi-final to do better than last time.
"I really hope that by the end of the claycourt season I'm really proud of myself."
Sabalenka will now face four-time champion Swiatek, who won her 26th successive match at Roland Garros when she defeated Elina Svitolina 6-1 7-5. The consecutive wins record on the Parisian red clay is Chris Evert's 29.
Swiatek has won five of the six matches she's played on clay against Sabalenka, including a thrilling three-setter in Spain last year.
"The Madrid final against her is one of the best and most exciting finals that I have played," said Swiatek, who has not won a title or reached a final since her victory at Roland Garros last year.
With AP
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"Andrew Liveris is a visionary chair and his team have been clear on the process for inclusion," he said. "We are busily working with the International Rugby League on a business case that will turn this dream into reality." The IOC usually determines the sport line-up for a Games seven years ahead of the opening ceremony, with Brisbane initially set for a 2025 reveal. But the Olympic body decided to postpone it until 2026 to give Brisbane organisers more time to review infrastructure projects, following a venue plan delay. The Queensland government finally unveiled its 2032 blueprint in March, almost four years after Brisbane was named host city. "Additional sports, we have a bunch of them in the queue. We're meeting with all the federations interested," Mr Liveris said. "We're open to all the submissions fitting the criteria. The next 12 months is all of that." All sports included must comply with the Olympic charter, the World Anti-Doping Code and the Olympic Movement Code. Mr Liveris said the NRL ticked a lot of boxes for 2032, with both metropolitan and regional appeal. "They have a strong value proposition, but, as I said to them yesterday, get in the queue - we're popular, we know it and we like it," he said. Footy fever may reach Olympic levels in Australia by 2032 after the NRL officially kicked off talks for Brisbane Games inclusion. NRL powerbrokers have gone for gold, pushing for a form of rugby league to feature in the 2032 Olympic sport program. Brisbane 2032 boss Andrew Liveris on Thursday confirmed he had met with NRL heavyweights, indicating they had pitched a compelling case. "It's a staggering set of statistics what the NRL is achieving in terms of global viewership and global participation," he said on the Gold Coast. The NRL is still weighing up whether to lobby for touch, tag or tackle footy at the Games. But touch footy is backing itself to feature in 2032, with a non-contact version of American football already confirmed for the Los Angeles Games. Flag football will feature in the 2028 sports program after being signed off by the International Olympic Committee (IOC). Touch Football Australia CEO Marcus Ashcroft said the sport's diversity provided an edge over other formats. "Our game's very unique in that we have mixed teams - that's a real attraction, potentially as an Olympic sport," he told AAP. "I think that that's where touch can have some advantages in that space. "It (Games inclusion) would be incredible for our sport and for our community." Touch footy has about 700,000 participants in Australia and has been a springboard to the NRL with the likes of Kalyn Ponga, Benji Marshall, Scott Prince and Matt Bowen making the transition. Any submission for rugby league's 2032 inclusion, no matter the format, would need to be made through the International Rugby League. The NRL has been vying for Games inclusion as it looks to further expand its appeal after successfully launching a Las Vegas opening round and a Pacific push. "We are motivated and excited to showcase rugby league, the No.1 sport in Australia and the Pacific, at the Olympic Games in 2032," NRL chief executive Andrew Abdo said. "And why wouldn't we be? "With the eyes of the world on Brisbane in 2032, we have a unique opportunity to globally platform a sport that is the heart and soul of Queensland, Australia and the Pacific." Mr Abdo said the NRL had plenty of work to do after meeting with Brisbane organisers on Wednesday but backed the sport to feature in 2032. "Andrew Liveris is a visionary chair and his team have been clear on the process for inclusion," he said. "We are busily working with the International Rugby League on a business case that will turn this dream into reality." 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"They have a strong value proposition, but, as I said to them yesterday, get in the queue - we're popular, we know it and we like it," he said.
