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Swiatek defeated the former world number three Svitolina 6-1, 7-5 in just over 90 minutes on Court Philippe Chatrier in the quarterfinal on Monday to book her final four spot.
Iga Swaitek at the French Open (AFP)
Triple-defending champion Iga Swiatek advanced to the last four at Roland Garros on Tuesday with a straight-sets win over 13th seed Elina Svitolina.
Swiatek defeated the former world number three 6-1, 7-5 in just over 90 minutes on Court Philippe Chatrier, continuing her quest to match a 102-year record by winning four consecutive French Open titles.
The Polish fifth seed will face world number one Aryna Sabalenka in the semi-finals. Sabalenka had earlier defeated Olympic champion Zheng Qinwen in the quarter-finals.
“Aryna is always a challenge; she has a game for every surface. I need to focus on myself, do the work, and just go for it,” said Swiatek.
The rivals have never met at Roland Garros, but Swiatek won their last two meetings on clay, in the finals of the Madrid and Italian Opens last season.
“It’s going to be a tough match, but I’m happy for the challenge,” the 24-year-old added.
After a slow start in her fourth-round win over former Wimbledon winner Elena Rybakina, where Swiatek was down 6-1, 2-0 before rallying, she began Tuesday’s match strongly.
Swiatek broke Svitolina’s serve in the fourth game to take a 3-1 lead, then won two lengthy, tightly-contested games to extend her advantage.
The five-time Grand Slam winner then served out the first set to 15 on a gusty center court in Paris.
In the second set, they exchanged consecutive service breaks early on, but neither could gain the upper hand until Swiatek broke through at 5-5 with a powerful forehand down the line.
Swiatek displayed her killer instinct by holding serve again to 15 and sealing the win with back-to-back aces.
The defeat means the 30-year-old Ukrainian Svitolina has never progressed beyond the quarter-finals at Roland Garros, despite reaching that stage five times in her career.
(with agency inputs)
After training in the field of broadcast media, Siddarth, as a sub-editor for News18 Sports, currently dabbles in putting together stories, from across a plethora of sports, onto a digital canvas. His long-term…Read More
After training in the field of broadcast media, Siddarth, as a sub-editor for News18 Sports, currently dabbles in putting together stories, from across a plethora of sports, onto a digital canvas. His long-term… Read More
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