Tennis
Defending champion Swiatek in the semifinals of the French Open
The Pole Iga Swiatek is again in the semifinals in Paris. photo
© Thibault Camus/AP/dpa
Iga Swiatek is two wins away from his third title at the French Open. The Pole also dominates in the quarterfinals. Now she meets a Brazilian who is celebrating an unexpected success.
The Polish Iga Swiatek is unstoppable at the French Open and is still striving for her third title in Paris. The world number one defeated last year’s final opponent Cori Gauff from the USA 6: 4, 6: 2 and reached the semifinals.
“It wasn’t easy, the first set was tight,” said Swiatek, looking confidently ahead. “I’m still pretty fresh, haven’t spent much time on the pitch.”
Swiatek now meets Beatriz Haddad Maia on Thursday. The 27-year-old prevailed in her quarter-finals 3-6, 7-6 (7-5), 6-1 against Ons Jabeur from Tunisia and is the first Brazilian in 65 years to reach a Grand Slam semi-final. This was last achieved by Maria Bueno in 1968 at the US Open.
Still without losing a sentence
Defending champion Swiatek remains in the course of the tournament at the classic clay court in Paris without losing a set. In the 2022 final she had dominated Gauff 6: 1, 6: 3, in 2020 she had secured her first title at the Stade Roland Garros.
Unlike her next opponent, Haddad Maia, who served a ten-month doping ban between 2019 and 2020, has had to fight hard so far. After the third-longest women’s match in French Open history in the round of 16 at just under four hours, the 27-year-old again needed 2:29 hours. “I had to be patient, she’s one of the best players in the world,” said the Brazilian.
Haddad Maia had previously reached the second round as the best result at the tennis clay court classic in Paris. In the first round she defeated the German Tatjana Maria. Wimbledon finalist Jabeur has to wait for her first triumph in a Grand Slam due to the defeat.
