Swiatek and Sabalenka Advance to French Open Semifinals
PARIS — Iga Swiatek, a four-time champion, celebrated her 26th consecutive victory at Roland-Garros, setting up a highly anticipated semifinal showdown against the world’s top-ranked player, Aryna Sabalenka. Swiatek defeated Elina Svitolina with a score of 6-1, 7-5, furthering her remarkable winning streak. The record for consecutive wins on the iconic Parisian red clay is held by Chris Evert, who achieved 29.
After a difficult few months in her performance, Swiatek was back in form during the first set, taking complete control. However, Svitolina, seeded 13th, pushed her harder in the second set. 777 pub casino app downloadable content Swiatek dropped her serve in the fourth game due to two straight unforced errors, but she quickly broke back and capitalized on a poor service game from Svitolina. With a powerful forehand return, Swiatek broke again and took the lead at 6-5 before sealing her victory with an ace. Having been outside the top four leading up to the French Open, Swiatek has not claimed a title or reached a final since her triumph at Roland-Garros last year.
Sabalenka Returns to the Semifinals
Aryna Sabalenka also advanced to the semifinals after defeating Zheng Qinwen in straight sets, marking her second appearance at this stage. In pursuit of her first title at Roland-Garros, Sabalenka overcame a shaky start and challenging windy conditions to win 7-6 (3), 6-3, extending her head-to-head record against the Olympic champion to 7-1 jili22net register login. The final score, however, did not accurately reflect the tightly contested nature of the quarterfinal, with both players delivering strong performances . Sabalenka demonstrated her No. extreme88 live login 1 ranking by excelling in crucial moments, while Zheng struggled with her service during tense points.
Sabalenka aims to reach her sixth Grand Slam final, the first one being at Roland-Garros. Interestingly, she faced Zheng last month in Rome, where she suffered a loss after having dominated their previous six encounters. 100 free registration Reflecting on that match, Sabalenka stated, “I was actually glad I lost that match because I needed a little break before Roland-Garros. Today, I was just more fresh. I was ready to battle, I was ready to leave everything I had on court to get this win.” As a three-time major champion, Sabalenka has not yet dropped a set during her run in Paris.
Zheng began strong on Court Philippe-Chatrier, breaking early and showcasing aggressive play. Nevertheless, two double faults in the eighth game allowed Sabalenka to break back and seize the momentum. A questionable call by Zheng in the 12th game nearly cost her the set, but she fought off a set point to push it into a tiebreaker. Sabalenka maintained greater consistency and secured the set after Zheng misfired on a drop shot.
In the second set, Zheng saved a break point with a powerful overhead shot in the fifth game, but Sabalenka’s fierce backhand return led to a break in the following game, putting the top-ranked player ahead at 3-2. Zheng refused to give in, breaking back immediately, but ultimately lost her last two service games. This defeat marked the end of a 10-match winning streak for Zheng at Roland-Garros, which dated back to last summer’s Olympic Games.
Who do you think will emerge victorious in the upcoming semifinal match between Swiatek and Sabalenka?