NEW DELHI: Defending champion Iga Swiatek made a significant stride towards her third consecutive French Open title by overpowering American third seed Coco Gauff 6-2, 6-4 in the semi-final in Paris on Thursday. This victory matched her longest winning streak on clay.
Four-time Grand Slam champion Swiatek continued her dominance over Gauff, securing her 11th win in 12 encounters. She now advances to a Saturday final against either 12th seed Jasmine Paolini or 17-year-old Mirra Andreeva.
Swiatek broke Gauff's serve in the opening game after a forehand error from the aggressive American. The top-seeded Pole then defended break points in her next two service games, solidifying her control over the match.
Despite losing the first set and tearing up at 2-1 in the second after disputing a line call with the umpire, Gauff managed to break Swiatek's serve for the first time. However, Swiatek quickly regained her composure, breaking back immediately and holding serve to lead 4-3. A powerful winner brought her a step closer to her 20th consecutive victory at Roland Garros.
Amid applause on a sun-drenched Court Philippe-Chatrier, Madrid and Rome champion Swiatek clinched victory on her serve, equaling her 18-match winning streak on clay from Stuttgart to Warsaw in 2022.
"It was intense. In the second set it was right because we were breaking each other. I was consistent with my tactics and went for it," Swiatek said.
"I think she's progressing a lot," Swiatek said of the 20-year-old U.S. Open champion.
"You can see by her results. Last year's U.S. Open showed she's tough. At this age, it's obvious she's going to just grow. It's nice to see her handling everything well around her, because it's not easy.
"I'm sure we'll have plenty more intense matches at the highest level. Coco is one of the most consistent players out there."
Swiatek has been on a remarkable run at the tournament. After saving a match point against the formidable Naomi Osaka in the second round, Swiatek has been virtually unstoppable. In the matches following her thrilling victory over Osaka, the young player has conceded a mere 14 games, showcasing her dominance on the court.
"For sure something changed. I adjusted better to the court. It's not easy to play the first matches at a Grand Slam because the atmosphere is different than other tournaments," she said.
"Against Naomi I didn't have time to get into it. She was intense from the beginning and put pressure on me. I'm happy I handled it well.
"After that the weather changed. It helps my game I feel. I just gained confidence, I would say."
(With Reuters inputs)
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