Damien Kayat previews Iga Swiatek vs Coco Gauff and Ons Jabeur vs Beatriz Haddad Maia in the quarter-finals of the French Open, on the 7th of June 2023.
2023 WTA Tour
Grand Slam Tennis
French Open
Stade Roland Garros, Paris, France (Outdoor Clay)
Selected Quarter-finals – 7th June
Iga Swiatek 1/11 | Coco Gauff 13/2
World No.1 Iga Swiatek will meet American wunderkind Coco Gauff in a rematch of last year’s one-sided final. Swiatek may not quite have the aura of invincibility that she had this time last year. But there’s no denying that the two-time Roland Garros champ is in her element on this red clay.
She seems completely at ease when the wind picks up and conditions become a bit more difficult. She will also benefit from playing just five games of her 4th round match before Lesia Tsurenko’s retirement. She double-bagled Wang in the 3rd round and she is yet to drop a set this year. She hasn’t looked completely untouchable during this year’s European clay-court swing.
She won in Stuttgart before losing to Sabalenka in the Madrid final. She then decided to take no chances and retire from her Rome quarterfinal clash with Rybakina. So, there have been chinks there. But she is currently in her happy place and she will take some beating this week.
Gauff will be looking to exact some vengeance for the massacre that was last year’s final. Gauff was far too timid in that match (the nerves clearly got to her). Gauff has once again showcased why she is such a dangerous clay-court proposition. It hasn’t been plain-sailing for Gauff in Paris.
She actually needed to come from a set down against both Masarova and Andreeva. And she started a little shakily in her 4th round match with Schmiedlova. She came through a rollercoaster first-set before a far more composed performance in the 2nd. I was really impressed with the way she adapted to the extreme wind conditions. Gauff has endured a pretty average season in singles action.
She started the year with a bang, winning the ASB Classic before a decent 4th round run in the Aussie Open. But she hasn’t reached another final all year. She has actually struggled to win consecutive matches over the last two months. This quarterfinal run is actually the first time she won two consecutive matches since Miami.
I think her split from coach Diego Montoya had a real negative impact on her. It’s easy to forget that Gauff is still just 19 years of age. She can’t afford to let her mind wander for one second in this upcoming clash.
Verdict: Swiatek to win in three – 16/5
Swiatek has utterly dominated this rivalry, winning all six of their previous encounters. Moreover, the American has never taken a set off the imperious Pole. She is going to need to be aggressive and target Swiatek’s 2nd service. She was far too passive last year and I’m sure she will have worked on that.
I actually think she will benefit from this not being the final. She will be more relaxed and can show off her full repertoire. I think Swiatek will prevail on this surface. But I think the nuggety American could peel a set off Swiatek.
Ons Jabeur 38/100 | Beatriz Haddad Maia 2/1
I knew that it was wrong for people to underestimate Ons Jabeur this year. She has obviously struggled with injury and hasn’t been able to catch fire like she did last year. But when she has been fully fit she has looked excellent.
She won in Charleston before picking up a calf injury in Stuttgart. But she seems to be close to peak physical condition, dropping just one set in the entire tournament thus far. Jabeur has emerged as arguably the 2nd best clay-court player in the world over the past 18 months.
She won in Madrid last year before losing to Swiatek in the Rome final. Her first-round exit at Roland Garros was one of the biggest surprises of the entire season. But she has exorcised those demons, reaching the quarterfinals here for the first time in her career.
She has now reached the quarterfinal stage in every single Slam. She knows how to negotiate the closing stages of Slams, reaching the finals at Wimbledon and the US Open last year.
Beatriz Haddad Maia made history with her roller-coaster 4th round victory over the doughty Sara Sorribes Torro. She became the first Brazilian woman in 55 years to reach a Grand Slam quarterfinal. It has been quite the journey for the Brazilian lefty.
Injuries and a doping suspension threated to ruin her promising young career. But she has finally started to realize her massive potential. She won back-to-back grass-court events last year before a glorious run to the Canadian Open final. She has had a solid- if unspectacular-year.
The best result of her season was a semi-final run in Abu Dhabi. But she has actually picked up a couple of surprising results on clay, reaching the quarterfinals in Stuttgart and Rome. I never thought she would be too much of a factor in Paris. She normally thrives on fast surfaces where she can dominate on serve.
She has drawn on her considerable doubles experience to play some crafty points at the net this year.
Verdict: Jabeur to win in straight sets at 87/100
Ons Jabeur leads the head-to-head 2-0. That includes a thrashing at this year’s Stuttgart Open. I think Jabeur should east past the Brazilian. Haddad Maia has benefited from a fairly inviting draw this year.
She has also been pushed to the limit in her last three matches. Jabeur was brilliant against Pera and I think her crafty, versatile game will be too much for Haddad Maia.
