Sabalenka ends Swiatek's reign as queen of clay to reach French Open final
Iga Swiatek's reign as the queen of clay was ended by Aryna Sabalenka in the semi-finals of the French Open.
The irresistible force beat the immovable object as runaway world No1 Sabalenka inflicted the four-time champion's first defeat at the tournament in four years.
In the first meeting between the WTA's two most dominant players at a grand slam since the 2022 US Open, Swiatek's run of 26 consecutive victories at the Paris grand slam was halted in a 7-6(1), 4-6, 6-0 defeat.
A three-time grand slam champion on hard courts, Sabalenka finally made her first final on the red dirt of Roland Garros.
After a match which would have graced the final – and it probably would have been had Swiatek's ranking not slipped to five – Sabalenka said: 'Honestly it feels incredible. I understand the job is not done yet but I'm thrilled with the performance and this win.'
Sabalenka's powerful, deep returns unsettled 24-year-old Swiatek at the start as she raced into a 3-0 lead with two breaks.
The Belarusian thought she had served an ace for a 5-1 lead, only for a let call from umpire Kader Nouni, who felt it had flicked the net cord. The momentum suddenly shifted with Swiatek winning four successive games, before Sabalenka held and then produced a stunning forehand winner on the run to break for 6-5.
She could not hold, though, with Swiatek's returns now doing considerable damage, but Sabalenka regrouped impressively to take the tie-break for the concession of just one point.
The quality increased in the second set, so much so that any slight mistake from one player was brutally punished by the other.
Polish star Swiatek was making far more forays to the net than usual, and it paid off when a perfect cushioned volley into the corner levelled the match.
Sabalenka's levels – including her noise levels – moved up a notch again in the decider and the 27-year-old drew first blood with a break for 2-0. A second break knocked the stuffing out of the defending champion, who looked resigned to her fate long before Sabalenka's final backhand winner flew past her.
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