Aryna Sabalenka expecting another ‘great battle' with Iga Swiatek at French Open
PARIS – World No. 1 Aryna Sabalenka said on June 3 she was expecting another 'great battle' with Iga Swiatek when the rivals meet in the semi-finals at Roland Garros.
Top seed Sabalenka dispatched Olympic champion Zheng Qinwen 7-6 (7-3), 6-3 in the quarter-finals in Paris and next plays three-time defending champion Swiatek for a place in the final.
Swiatek, the fifth seed, got past 13th-seeded Ukrainian Elina Svitolina 6-1, 7-5 to set up the mouthwatering match-up on June 5.
The semi-final will be one between two players who know each other well, the pair having faced each other across the net 12 times with Swiatek leading the series 8-4.
On clay, the Polish player has won five of their six meetings – most recently in the 2024 finals in Rome and Madrid.
Sabalenka's only win on clay was in the final in Madrid in 2023, when she edged Swiatek in three sets. And the Belarusian won their most recent clash – a straight-sets win on hard court in Cincinnati last October.
The 27-year-old says she enjoys the rivalry with 24-year-old Swiatek, and the pair who have shared the world No. 1 ranking between them for over three years have become closer of late.
'Yeah, I mean, before it wasn't any communication, any practices with her, but now we are getting better,' said Sabalenka.
'We get along better, and we practise more often, and we know each other quite well. We've had a lot of great battles in the past.
'If it's going to be Iga, I'm super excited, and it's high-level matches. Yeah, I'm super excited to go out there and to fight and to do everything I need to get the win.'
Meanwhile, Swiatek revealed she has been practising with Sabalenka in the past two weeks since Rome.
'It's great always to practice with Aryna. She gives a great rhythm, and the practice will have quality, you know, so it was great,' she said.
'I feel like we both know how we play, so it's not like you're going to find something extraordinary there.'
On June 3, Sabalenka fought back after struggling in the first set against Zheng, who had beaten her in the last eight on clay in Rome in May.
She then converted her first match point on a poorly-controlled drop-shot from the Chinese to advance to her 11th Grand Slam semi-final overall, and her second in Paris following her run in 2023.
A three-time Grand Slam winner – at the Australian Open in 2023 and 2024 and the reigning US Open champion – Sabalenka is chasing her sixth Major final berth.
Zheng – on a 10-match winning run since her Olympic gold in Paris – blamed nervousness for her errors in her first Paris quarter-finals.
'In the first set I made a lot of, you know, easy mistakes. I give her the chance so easy,' she said.
'I (was) really tight because I have so much hunger in (the) French Open, and then I think this can make my performance not (the) best. I don't even perform at 60, 70 per cent.' AFP
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
Trayvon Bromell scorches 100m as Beatrice Chebet shines at Rome Diamond League
Trayvon Bromell celebrates after winning the men's 100m event of the Diamond League meet in Rome on June 6. PHOTO: AFP ROME – American Trayvon Bromell admitted that he had the 'jitters', even as he set the fastest time over the 100m this season in 9.84 seconds at the Rome Diamond League on June 6. Bromell, a two-time world outdoor bronze medallist and 2016 world indoor champion, dominated the field, with compatriot Fred Kerley coming in fifth in 10.06sec. Cameroon's Emmanuel Eseme (9.99sec) and Kenya's Ferdinand Omanyala (10.01sec) rounded out the podium in the blue riband event. 'It is a blessing... I executed the race, it was a great feel,' said Bromell. 'It was definitely a lot of jitters, I'm not going to lie and say that the nerves weren't there. 'I did not know what to expect, but I just wanted to go and be the person that I know I am. I work hard so I don't expect anything but fast times and execution.' Kenya's Beatrice Chebet, who won Olympic golds in the 5,000 and 10,000m in Paris last summer, posted the second-fastest time of all time in the women's 5,000m, clocking 14:03.69 after a stunning solo breakaway at the Stadio Olimpico. It was just three seconds off Gudaf Tsegay's world record set in Eugene in 2023, the Ethiopian finishing third in the Italian capital as the field struggled with Chebet's kick four laps out from the finish. 'I was planning to run 14:15, but I felt like my body was moving and I decided to go,' said Chebet. 'So I see that my body is in a good shape and I am capable of of the world record. So now I am going home and will prepare for it. Everything is possible. If I get someone who will push me up to 3000, it is possible.' Another Olympic champion, Quincy Hall of the USA, held his nerve to claim victory in the men's 400m in 44.22sec, winning in a photo finish from fast-finishing South African Zakithi Nene. There was a first Diamond League win since 2022 for Sandi Morris in the women's pole vault, the American clearing 4.80m for the victory. 'Today is monumental for me on a personal level,' said Morris, a three-time world silver medallist. 'I have been fighting with problems with my shoulder so I have to keep the volume of jumps lower. I really wanted to keep jumping but I also listen to my goals.' There was, however, no glory for Gianmarco Tamberi in the men's high jump in front of his adoring fans. The joint 2020 Olympic gold medallist, also the current European and world champion, bombed out at a lowly 2.16m in a competition won by South Korea's Woo Sang-hyeok, with a best of 2.32m. AFP Join ST's Telegram channel and get the latest breaking news delivered to you.
Straits Times
2 hours ago
- Straits Times
‘Honoured' Novak Djokovic hints at possible Roland Garros farewell after semi-final loss
PARIS – Novak Djokovic suggested he may well have bidden adieu to Roland Garros after the 38-year-old was defeated in the semi-finals by Jannik Sinner on June 6. Following his 6-4, 7-5, 7-6 (7-3) loss to world No. 1 Sinner, the Serb stopped briefly on his way off Court Philippe Chatrier and took a moment to 'show his gratitude' to the Paris crowd. 'This could have been the last match ever I played here... That's why I was a bit more emotional even in the end,' said three-time champion Djokovic. 'But if this was the farewell match of Roland Garros for me in my career, it was a wonderful one in terms of the atmosphere and what I got from the crowd. 'Not the happiest because of the loss, but I tried to show my gratitude to the crowd.' Djokovic has on occasion had a fraught relationship with the Parisian public, but hailed the backing he received against Sinner. 'I don't think I have ever received this much support in this stadium in my career in big matches against the best players in the world. So very, very honoured to experience that,' he added. However, the Serb allayed fears he would be calling time on his career just yet. He stills stands on the brink of history after his latest tilt at a record-breaking 25th Grand Slam title was foiled. One more Major victory would take him beyond Margaret Court and into outright-first on the list of players with the most Grand Slams. 'At the moment I will try to stick with the plan what I had, which is play the Grand Slams,' he said. 'Those tournaments are the priorities of my schedule, my calendar. Wimbledon and US Open, yes, they are in plans. That's all I can say right now. Those two, for sure. For the rest, I'm not so sure.' Despite the latest setback, Djokovic insisted he still has the record in his sights and hoped it will be seventh time lucky when Wimbledon starts on June 30. 'I'm going to do everything possible to get myself ready,' he said. 'I guess my best chances (of winning) maybe are Wimbledon, you know, to win another Slam, or faster hard court, maybe Australia or something like that.' Djokovic has won the title at Wimbledon seven times and is the the most dominant men's player in the history of the Australian Open with 10 victories in Melbourne. When asked how long he had been considering his future at Roland Garros, Djokovic cryptically replied: 'Not long. I don't know. I don't know really what tomorrow brings in a way at this point in my career.' AFP Join ST's Telegram channel and get the latest breaking news delivered to you.
Straits Times
2 hours ago
- Straits Times
Jannik Sinner says rivalry with Carlos Alcaraz just the tonic that tennis needs
Jannik Sinner believes that his rivalry with Carlos Alcaraz will define a new era in men's tennis. PHOTO: REUTERS Jannik Sinner says rivalry with Carlos Alcaraz just the tonic that tennis needs PARIS – Jannik Sinner believes his battle for supremacy with fellow French Open finalist Carlos Alcaraz could become the defining rivalry of their era, and it is something the sport needs with its golden generation of players calling time on their careers. The world No. 1 beat Novak Djokovic 6-4, 7-5, 7-6 (7-3) in a generational battle on Court Philippe Chatrier on June 6 to deny his Serbian opponent a record 25th Grand Slam. The 23-year-old Italian, who is seeking his fourth Slam title, booked a mouth-watering clash on June 8 with Alcaraz, who will aim to retain his crown at Roland Garros and add a fifth Major crown. With Djokovic now the only active member of tennis' 'Big Four' that also included Roger Federer, Rafa Nadal and Andy Murray and yielded a collective 69 Slam titles in more than two decades, Sinner sensed an opportunity for himself and Alcaraz. 'It takes time to compare us with the Big Three or Big Four, no? Only time can tell, to be honest,' he said. 'For sure, from my point of view, he's (Alcaraz) a player who makes me a better player. He pushes me to the limit. We try to understand where we have to improve, for the next times I play against him. 'I believe that tennis or every sport needs rivalries. This could be potentially one of them, but there are amazing players coming up. There can be so many different and other players joining. You never know.' The French Open final on Court Philippe Chatrier will mark only the 12th time that Sinner and Alcaraz have faced off, with the 22-year-old Spaniard looking for a fifth straight victory over his opponent to successfully defend his title. Sinner also said that he and Alcaraz had a similar aura and could get more fans interested in the sport. 'He's a player with charisma, with that aura,' he said. 'The moment he steps on court, you can feel his presence. In the end, that's exactly what tennis needs. The more people like that, the more players like that, the better. 'The stage, it doesn't get any bigger now. Grand Slam finals against Carlos, it's a special moment for me and for him too.' Alcaraz, meanwhile, promised a spectacular Roland Garros final against Sinner after advancing past an injured Lorenzo Musetti in the semi-finals. 'It's going to be a really great Sunday, I think, for the fans of tennis,' he said. 'Jannik, he's the best tennis player right now. I mean, he's destroying every opponent through (to) the semi-final,' he added of the three-time Grand Slam winner, who is yet to drop a set in the tournament. When the dust settles on Court Philippe Chatrier on June 8, the past six Grand Slam titles will have been shared between the two new dominant forces of the men's game. On paper, based on their recent meetings, Alcaraz is the favourite. He beat Sinner in five sets in the semi-final on his way to the title at Roland Garros in 2024, and also won in May in the Italian Open final as Sinner made his return from a three-month doping suspension. REUTERS, AFP Join ST's Telegram channel and get the latest breaking news delivered to you.
