World number one Aryna Sabalenka moved a step closer to a maiden French Open title by taking out four-time champion Iga Swiatek in a blockbuster semi-final.
Sabalenka will meet second seed Coco Gauff in Saturday’s showpiece after the American ruthlessly ended French wildcard Lois Boisson’s incredible run.
Belarus’ Sabalenka earned a 7-6 (7-1) 4-6 6-0 victory to end fifth seed Swiatek’s 26-match winning run at the tournament.
Gauff, runner-up to Swiatek in 2022, won 6-1 6-2 against world number 361 Boisson, who was appearing in her first Grand Slam main draw.
However, Swiatek’s serve suddenly dropped off again and allowed Sabalenka to quickly reach her fifth final in the past seven Grand Slam tournaments.
After defeating four-time champion Iga Swiatek in a thrilling semifinal, world number one Aryna Sabalenka took a step closer to winning her first French Open championship.
In the main event on Saturday, Sabalenka will face second seed Coco Gauff, who brutally ended the remarkable run of French wildcard Lois Boisson.
Swiatek, ranked fifth, lost to Belarus’ Sabalenka 7-6 (7-1) 4-6 6-0 to end her 26-match winning streak at the tournament.
After a sluggish start on the clay of Roland Garros, Swiatek of Poland rallied to tie the score, but Sabalenka won a decisive set in 22 minutes.
Despite winning all three of her Grand Slam titles on hard courts, Sabalenka has never advanced to the Paris final.
“The work is not yet finished, but it feels amazing. “I’m really happy with how I performed,” the 27-year-old declared.
“I’m happy that I was able to secure this victory because Iga is the hardest opponent, particularly at Roland Garros. “,”.
Gauff defeated world number 361 Boisson, who was competing in her first Grand Slam main draw, 6-1 6-2. Gauff finished second to Swiatek in 2022.
When the French Open draw was announced, everyone’s eyes were on this possible matchup: the “Queen of Clay” taking on the world number one in the final stages.
Over the last three years, Swiatek and Sabalenka have dominated the WTA Tour and won six of the last ten majors between them.
However, Sabalenka entered Roland Garros as the favorite after Swiatek fell to fifth place in the world following a difficult season.
In an edgy opening set, both players seemed to be affected by the magnitude of the highly anticipated match.
In the beginning, Sabalenka adapted more quickly to the heavier conditions that are ideal for her game because the roof was closed due to the rainy weather in Paris.
The top seed swiftly took a double break lead thanks to Sabalenka’s blistering return pace, which was too fast for Swiatek.
Swiatek, who was one point from falling behind 5-1, fought back after readjusting her baseline position to better absorb the pace.
The change allowed a more accurate Swiatek to prolong rallies and exert more force on Sabalenka’s serve; the Pole went on to win the following three games to take a 5-4 lead.
Momentum kept shifting as both players appeared tight.
After a nervous match that ended in a tie-break that was dominated by the Belarusian, Swiatek’s serve gave way and Sabalenka was unable to serve out the set at 6-5.
Before Swiatek calmed down to hold onto the lead and force a decider, the second set started with three consecutive breaks, which were due as much to poor serving as to quality returning.
However, Sabalenka swiftly advanced to her fifth final in the last seven Grand Slam competitions when Swiatek’s serve abruptly dropped off once more.
As Swiatek put it, “I think I lost my intensity a bit.”.
She played just as well as she had in the first set, but I was unable to respond effectively and push back. “.”.
