This is the one we have all been waiting for, with World No.1 Aryna Sabalenka locking horns with four-time French Open champion Iga Swiatek. The Belarusian exacted some revenge in her quarterfinal clash with Qinwen Zheng, muscling her way to a 7-6, 6-3 victory.
WTA/ ATP Tour
Grand Slam Tennis
French Open
Stade Roland Garros, Paris, France (Outdoor Clay)
Selected Semifinals- 7th-8th June
WTA Tour- 7th June
Aryna Sabalenka (1) 0.76 vs Iga Swiatek (5) 1.04
This is the one we have all been waiting for, with World No.1 Aryna Sabalenka locking horns with four-time French Open champion Iga Swiatek. The Belarusian exacted some revenge in her quarterfinal clash with Qinwen Zheng, muscling her way to a 7-6, 6-3 victory. Zheng- who won Olympic Gold here last year- had beaten the Belarusian in straight sets at this year’s Italian Open. And the first set could have gone either way, with Sabalenka’s grater consistency ultimately proving too much for the Chinese star to deal with. Sabalenka hit 20 winners to 18 unforced errors in tough conditions, improving to 39-6 for the season in the process. Sabalenka is yet to drop a set this fortnight, reaching her 2nd French Open semifinal with minimal fuss. She has made impressive strides on clay these past few seasons, winning in Madrid and finishing runner-up in Stuttgart this year. She has added more finesse to her power-based game and this has paid rich dividends on clay.
Iga Swiatek continues to cement her legendary status at Roland Garros, winning her 26th consecutive French Open match with a 6-1, 7-5 win over Ukrainian counterpuncher Elina Svitolina. Svitolina played composed tennis in blustery conditions, wearing Svitolina down with her relentless power. Svitolina ultimately hit 23 winners to 29 unforced errors (not bad considering the violent gusts). The four-time French Open champ has now reached four successive French Open semifinals. Moreover, she possess the highest win percentage at Roland Garros for any woman in the Open Era (she is currently 40-2). Swiatek appears to have been emboldened by that magnificent 4th round comeback win over Elena Rybakina. She has obviously endured her struggles in recent times, failing to reach a final since claiming the title here last season. But there is some form of mystical alchemy at play when Swiatek hits the hallowed terre battue. She will look for a fast start as she aims to remind the world that she is the undisputed Queen of Clay.
The Verdict: Swiatek to win in straight sets at 2.25- Swiatek leads the head-to-head 8-4, with Sabalenka winning their most recent meeting at last year’s Cincinnati Open. Swiatek leads the clay-court duels 5-1, with Sabalenka claiming her lone clay-court win at last year’s Madrid Open (on a much quicker surface). I have a feeling that Swiatek is going to turn it on against Sabalenka. The Belarusian does occasionally tighten up in the latter stages of slams (particularly outside of the hard surfaces).
