PARIS — Iga Swiatek, the four-time champion, continued her remarkable journey at Roland-Garros with an impressive 26th consecutive victory, setting up an electrifying semifinal showdown against top seed Aryna Sabalenka. This will mark their inaugural French Open face-off.
Swiatek triumphed over Elina Svitolina with a score of 6-1, 7-5, extending her phenomenal streak. The record for consecutive wins on the iconic Paris clay is 29, held by the legendary Chris Evert.
Meanwhile, Sabalenka advanced to the semifinals for the second time, defeating Olympic champion Zheng Qinwen in straight sets.
Despite recent struggles, Swiatek found her rhythm in the first set, dominating play. However, her 13th-seeded opponent made it challenging in the second set as Swiatek faced a brief lapse, dropping her serve early on. Yet, she quickly rallied, capitalizing on an opening to seize control once again, ultimately clinching the match with a powerful ace.
In their six clay encounters, Swiatek has bested Sabalenka five times, including a thrilling three-set battle in Spain last year.
“The final in Madrid was one of the most thrilling matches I’ve experienced,” Swiatek commented, reflecting on their past encounters. “Playing against Aryna is always a formidable challenge.”
Sabalenka is on a quest for her sixth Grand Slam final and her first at Roland-Garros.
“I couldn’t be more excited to step onto the court and give it my all for the win,” Sabalenka expressed.
After overcoming a rocky start and challenging windy conditions, Sabalenka secured her place with a 7-6 (3), 6-3 victory over Zheng, bringing her record against the former Olympic champion to 7-1.
While the scoreline suggested a straightforward match, the quarterfinal was tightly contested, with each player fighting hard. However, Sabalenka shone brightly on crucial points, while Zheng faced difficulties serving under pressure.
In their previous encounter in Rome, Sabalenka suffered a rare defeat against Zheng but found a silver lining. “I actually welcomed that loss; it gave me the break I needed before Roland-Garros,” she said. “Today, I felt refreshed and ready to pour everything into this match.”
So far in Paris, Sabalenka has not dropped a single set.
What other highlights emerged from Tuesday’s action at the French Open?
Lorenzo Musetti achieved a significant milestone by reaching his first semifinal at the French Open and his second at any Grand Slam event. The 23-year-old Italian outplayed Frances Tiafoe of the United States with a score of 6-2, 4-6, 7-5, 6-2 in the same venue where he claimed a bronze medal at the previous Olympics.
With an impressive 19-3 record on red clay this season, the eighth-seeded Musetti is set to clash with either defending champion Carlos Alcaraz or Tommy Paul on Friday for a chance to compete in the final. Musetti’s amazing run marks the first time since 1973 that Italy has boasted two male quarterfinalists in Roland-Garros, alongside top seed Jannik Sinner, who faces unseeded Alexander Bublik in the upcoming quarterfinals.
