Damien Kayat previews the 2022 French Open Women’s Final between Iga Swiatek and Coco Gauff.
Iga Swiatek (1) (2/17) vs Coco Gauff (18) (5/1)
Considering all the chaos that has befallen the women’s draw this year- this final actually makes a lot of sense. Iga Swiatek is a no-brainer as she is currently producing tennis that will go down in history.
And 18th seed Coco Gauff has shown both clay-court and Grand Slam potential in the past. There is a real sense of glamour in a matchup that could shape women’s tennis for the next decade. I have to admit, I was at a bit of a loss when I heard Amelie Mauresmo’s recent comments.
The French Open tournament director has courted some unnecessary controversy, essentially saying that men’s tennis is more appealing (she was awkwardly trying to explain why men’s matches have dominated the coveted night-time slots). Let’s hope that this match disabuses her of those sentiments.
Iga Swiatek (1) – French Open Women’s Final
Iga Swiatek extended her current winning streak to 34 matches with a convincing 6-2, 6-1 victory over Daria Kasatkina. It extended her utter dominance over the poor Russian. Seriously, Kasatkina must be wondering what her season would have been had it not been for Iga Swiatek (she has lost four times to the Pole this year). One would think that Swiatek had it all her own way against Kasatkina.
But it’s perhaps one of the more deceptive 6-2, 6-1 victories you will see. The early stages of the match consisted of long, tight games. Kasatkina was trading blows with Swiatek, resulting in a few clumsy slips by the Pole.
But Swiatek just grew into the game and began to threaten Kasatkina’s serve incessantly. She hit 21 winners and 13 unforced errors in a thoroughly professional victory.
Her reserved post-match celebrations told me quite a lot. Though she is performing brilliantly on the court, I think she is feeling the massive burden of expectation. She basically needs to win this match in order for the French Open to be considered a success. As I said, those nerves haven’t really shown on court.
She has only dropped one set thus far and she has looked emphatic. But she is going to be the one with something to lose in this match. In the same breadth, recent history seems to suggest that Swiatek gets even more ruthless in finals.
This year I have been especially impressed by the way she just suddenly injects power into the most benign rallies. She possesses a switch that few players (man or woman) have access to.
Coco Gauff (18) – French Open Women’s Final
At just 18 years of age, Coco Gauff becomes the youngest French Open finalist since Kim Clijsters in 2001. In fact, she is the youngest Grand Slam finalist since Maria Sharapova burst onto the since at the 2004 Wimbledon Championships. She will be aiming to become the first American to win this event since Serena Williams in 2015.
I know that I always talk about the frenzied nature of the women’s draw and how you can’t underestimate any opponent. But even by those standards, Gauff has been the recipient of a pretty inviting draw. She has only met one seed thus far (31st seed Elise Mertens). Still, Gauff is yet to drop a set and you can only beat what is put in front of you.
I have to admit, Gauff wasn’t really on my radar this year. The likes of Anisimova and Collins seemed the more appealing of the American contingent. Gauff has enjoyed a fairly pedestrian campaign up till now (she last reached a semi-final in Adelaide). But she has undoubted clay-court pedigree. She won in Parma last year and reached her maiden clay-court quarterfinal in Paris.
That makes her Roland Garros record 10-1 over the last two years. Gauff has impressed this fortnight with her magnificent movement. Her refusal to give up on the most hopeless point is reminiscent of a certain Rafa Nadal. It will be interesting to see how the Parisian crowd reacts this Saturday. Iga Swiatek is one of the most popular sportswomen in the world and the Roland Garros faithful does tend to root against American opposition.
But Coco Mania has indeed descended on Paris this year, making it hard to predict which way the fans will break.
The Verdict: French Open Women’s Final
Swaitek to win in three sets at 5/2- This will be the 3rd meeting between these two. Swiatek leads 2-0, beating Gauff in straight-sets on both occasions. This included victory in Rome last year. This is going to be fascinating. These two have generally bulldozed their way through their matches.
It will be interesting to see either one on the back foot. I just think Swiatek is a huge step up in class for Gauff. Many of the players she has faced have been more defensive baseliners. Swiatek likes to take the ball early and will force the agenda, testing Gauff’s defence to the limit.
I just think Swiatek’s power will render Gauff’s athleticism a moot point. I just think 5/2 for Swiatek to win in three makes much better financial sense than 4/9 for the straight-sets victory. Swiatek could always succumb to early jitters (ala the Zheng match).
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