Sabalenka and Swiatek set for French Open semi-final blockbuster
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.'
Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles
Business Recorder
4 hours ago
- Business Recorder
Sinner faces Djokovic as reigning champion Alcaraz eyes French Open final
PARIS: World number one Jannik Sinner locks horns with 24-time Grand Slam champion Novak Djokovic in the French Open semi-finals Friday, as Carlos Alcaraz tries to keep his title defence on track against Lorenzo Musetti. Sinner has stormed into the last four without dropping a set while Djokovic impressed in a four-set win over last year's runner-up Alexander Zverev in the quarter-finals. Alcaraz delivered his most convincing display of the tournament in a ruthless demolition of Tommy Paul in the last round, while the in-form Musetti is targeting his first major final. Top seed and three-time Grand Slam winner Sinner takes on the most successful man ever to play the sport in a rivalry that connects one generation to the next. Sinner, 23, and Djokovic, 38, have split their eight meetings, but the Italian has won four of the last five matches to signal the undeniable power shift in men's tennis. Sinner is riding a 19-match winning run at Grand Slams as he chases a third successive major title, looking to go a step further at Roland Garros than last year's semi-final loss to Alcaraz in five sets. Novak Djokovic and Sinner chase French Open semis as underdogs look for upsets '(Djokovic) has shown now in the last period that he is back to the level,' said Sinner. 'It's going to be… very, very difficult. He's such an experienced player, 24 Grand Slams. I think that says everything.' A week before Roland Garros, Djokovic had not won a single match on clay this year. But after capturing his 100th ATP title in Geneva and arriving at the French Open battle-tested, the 38-year-old Serbian has steadily hit his stride. The three-time Roland Garros champion is two wins away from a record-breaking 25th major to move him out in front of Margaret Court, but he is aware of the magnitude of the task ahead. 'Jannik is in tremendous form, and he has been the best player for the last couple of years,' said Djokovic. 'There is no bigger occasion for me… I just hope that I will be able to physically keep up.' Djokovic could become the first man to beat the world's top three players en route to a Grand Slam title after defeating third-ranked Zverev in the last eight, with world number two Alcaraz a possible final opponent. 'I think at the moment he's a bit underrated, to be honest,' Zverev said after his loss to the Serb. 'I think like a lot of people count him out already, but this year he's had wins over Carlos at the Australian Open, he has had a win over me at the French Open. Forget the age. I think for any player, those are pretty good results.' Alcaraz continues title defence Alcaraz resumes his burgeoning rivalry with Musetti, hoping to back up victories over the Italian in the Monte Carlo Masters final and Italian Open semi-finals. But Musetti, who also reached the last four in Madrid, is one of the form players on the ATP Tour and has carried that confidence into Roland Garros. 'I mean he's playing great,' said Alcaraz of his semi-final opponent. 'It's going to be a beautiful battle, a beautiful match, I think we're both playing great tennis… it's going to be great for the people to watch as well.' The Spaniard is targeting a fifth Grand Slam title this weekend and will be a heavy favourite on Friday despite Musetti's recent good run. Alcaraz has won the last five matches between the two since Musetti took their first meeting in the 2022 Hamburg Open final. He also dished out a straight-sets thrashing to Musetti in the 2023 French Open last 16, losing only seven games. World number seven Musetti will be playing in just his second Grand Slam semi-final, after a last-four defeat by Djokovic at Wimbledon last year. Should he go through and meet Sinner for the title, it would be the first all-Italian men's final at a Grand Slam.
Express Tribune
14 hours ago
- Express Tribune
Djokovic downs Zverev in FO quarters
Novak Djokovic fought back to beat Alexander Zverev in the last eight at Roland Garros. Photo: AFP Novak Djokovic said beating Alexander Zverev on Wednesday was a "testament" to his ability to compete at the highest level as the 38-year-old reached the semi-finals at Roland Garros to inch closer to a record 25th Grand Slam title. Djokovic fought past third seed Zverev 4-6, 6-3, 6-2, 6-4 in a gruelling night session duel, which captivated Court Philippe Chatrier over three-and-a-quarter hours. The 24-time Grand Slam winner moves on to face world number one Jannik Sinner in the last four, after the Italian earlier raced past the unseeded Alexander Bublik in straight sets. "Jannik is in tremendous form, and he has been the best player for the last couple of years," said Djokovic. "It's going to be of course semi-finals of a Grand Slam against the No. 1 in the world. There is no bigger occasion for me, so I'll try to do my best to step it up and perform as well as I did tonight. "I just hope that I will be able to physically keep up, you know, with Sinner in few days' time. It's a big challenge for me." On centre court, last year's runner-up Zverev roared out of the blocks with an immediate break of serve as he clinched the opener against Djokovic. It was the first time former world number one Djokovic has dropped a set at the French Open this year. 'Forget the age' Djokovic engineered himself a 3-1 lead in the second set after Zverev pushed a backhand long when serving at 30-40. The three-time Roland Garros champion then held firm through the rest of the frame to level the match as he started to punish the 1.98m-Zverev with drop-shots. The Serb sniffed out a break opportunity in game five of the third set and snaffled it, before again breaking the German as he took control of the encounter. Now on a high, Djokovic started the fourth by again pouncing on his opponent's usually reliable serve. He brought Chatrier to its feet when he whipped a cross-court forehand past Zverev to save break point in the sixth game at the end of an exchange that the 28-year-old looked certain to win on at least three occasions. Zverev appeared a defeated man when he eventually passed up that chance at a vital break-back with a netted forehand. Djokovic marched on and sealed his 101st win at the French Open, raising his arms aloft in triumph after finally converting match point at the fifth time of asking. "It was an amazing match," summarised Djokovic. "Obviously beating one of the best players in the world on the biggest stages is something that I definitely work for, and I still, you know, push myself on a daily basis at this age because of these kind of matches and these kind of experiences. "It's a proven kind of testament to myself that I can and to others that I can still play on the highest level." A poor run of form earlier in the season and his advancing years had some questioning whether Djokovic could still match his younger rivals. But he had a response for his doubters: "I think the win against (Carlos) Alcaraz in quarters of Australian Open (2025), to win quarters against Zverev tonight proves to myself and others that I can still play on the highest level, and I just thrive on these occasions." A sentiment echoed by Zverev. "I think at the moment he's a bit underrated, to be honest," Zverev said of Djokovic. "I think like a lot of people count him out already, but this year he's had wins over Carlos at the Australian Open, he has had a win over me at the French Open. Forget the age. I think for any player, those are pretty good results." Defeat at the quarter-final stage of the tournament in which he has reached at least the last four every year since 2021 brings an end to a disappointing clay-court season for Zverev. The three-time Grand Slam runner-up endured early exits at the Monte Carlo Masters and Madrid Open, as well as in the last eight in Rome.
Business Recorder
a day ago
- Business Recorder
Sabalenka dethrones four-times champion Swiatek to reach French Open final
PARIS: World number one Aryna Sabalenka battled past four-times champion Iga Swiatek to reach her first French Open final on Thursday with a 7-6(1) 4-6 6-0 victory that ended the Pole's reign in Paris and snapped her 26-game winning streak in the tournament. The Belarusian's power proved too much for the defending champion, who was looking to become the first female player in the Open era since 1968 to win four consecutive titles in Paris. Swiatek had won the previous three editions along with her maiden crown in 2020 The top seed will now play either France's Lois Boisson, the first player in the Open Era to reach this stage of the French Open as a wildcard, or second-seeded American Coco Gauff in Saturday's showcase match. 'Honestly, it feels incredible but I understand the job is not done yet. I'm just thrilled today with this win and the atmosphere,' Sabalenka said. 'She's the toughest opponent, especially on clay, especially at Roland Garros. It was a tough match it was a tricky match but I managed.' Sabalenka, playing her second French open semi-final and seeking her first title in Paris, powered into a 3-0 lead, twice breaking the Pole. She kept attacking her opponent's serve with Swiatek winning just 35% of her points on her second serve. Swiatek, who late last year accepted a one-month doping ban and came into the tournament without a single title win this season, had reached the semi-finals dropping just one set in five matches. But she looked completely out of sorts. With seven unforced errors in the first three games she was playing catchup from the start. The Pole, struggled with her serve and had racked up two double faults by the fifth game. She gradually, however, found her range and precision, countering Sabalenka's raw power with superb ball placement and levelled when her opponent double-faulted on break point. The Belarusian was furious, angrily shouting to her team in the box, before overrunning her opponent in the tiebreak. The pair traded breaks at the start of the second set before Swiatek earned another to level the match. Sabalenka Bagel But Sabalenka was not to be denied, breaking the 24-year-old world number five at the start of the third to take control. 'I think the pace from her was super fast,' Swiatek said. 'Especially at the beginning of the match, she played just kind of as hard as possible and pretty risky. So it was just hard to get into any rally.' 'In the third set I feel like we kind of came back to what happened in the first, and she for sure used her chances, and I didn't really keep up what I was doing in the second set.' Sabalenka gave her opponent no chance with her thunderous groundstrokes, powering through the decider as Swiatek ran out of steam. 'It could not be more perfect than that,' Sabalenka said of her third-set performance. 'I'm super proud right now, I'm glad I found my serve (again in the third set).'
