She was the defending champion and the last member of the top 10 remaining in the tournament. Iga Swiatek in turn has said goodbye to Parisian clay. This Wednesday afternoon, the 20-year-old Pole was overtaken by the Greek tornado Maria Sakkari in the quarterfinals at Roland Garros (6-4, 6-4).
Iga Swiatek was confused from start to finish by her opponent’s athleticism and flow. She called a doctor at the start of the second set and bandaged her right thigh. This break had the merit of relaunching it, but not enough to make up for its late break. “Maria pounded my forehand that wasn’t working well. It’s well played for her to have noticed it, ”said the Pole, who visibly does not suffer from any physical injury. “I slept badly yesterday (Tuesday), just a few hours, and suddenly I felt everything twice as strong as normal. It was complicated for me to rationally analyze what was happening to me. I decided to put on a bandage as a precaution. It gave me a little confidence on my travels. Nevertheless, I reacted badly. I played badly tactically and technically ”.
End of the game for the American nugget
At 25, Sakkari, 18th in the ATP, achieved a breathtaking course, having already released the seeds number 4 (Sofia Kenin) and 17 (Elise Mertens) in previous laps. It thus reaches for the first time the last four of a Grand Slam. A point in common with the other three contenders for the title, Anastasia Pavlyuchenkova, Tamara Zidansek and Barbora Krejcikova.
The latter got rid, a little earlier in the day, of the 17-year-old American nugget, Coco Gauff (7-6, 6-3). The Czech, heretofore known for her performances in women’s and mixed doubles, has once again shown great strength of character. Victorious in the first round in the tie-break, after having saved five set points, she then took advantage of her rival’s mental failure to conclude in one hour and fifty minutes. His duel against Sakkari, Thursday, after the one between Pavlyuchenkova and Zidansek, promises to be very stuck.
