Defending champion Swiatek beats Elina Svitolina 6-1, 7-5 to set up mouth-watering semi-final vs World No. 1 Sabalenka; says she’ll have to go all out against the top seed
Iga Swiatek during her win over Elina Svitolina yesterday. Pic/Getty Images; (right) Aryna Sabalenka celebrates her win over Zheng Qinwen in their quarter-final in Paris yesterday. Pic/AFP
Triple-defending champion Iga Swiatek marched into the last four at Roland Garros on Tuesday with a straight-sets victory over 13th seed Elina Svitolina.
Swiatek bested the former World No. 3 6-1, 7-5 in just over 90 minutes on Court Philippe Chatrier to continue her bid to equal a 102-year record by winning four successive French Open titles. The Polish fifth seed will face World No. 1 Aryna Sabalenka in the semi-finals after the Belarusian earlier bested Olympic champion Zheng Qinwen 7-6 (7/3), 6-3 in the last eight.
‘I need to focus’
“Aryna is always a challenge, she has a game for every surface. I need to focus on myself, do the work and just go for it,” said Swiatek.
The rivals have never met at Roland Garros, but Swiatek emerged the victor in their last two meetings on clay — in the finals of the Madrid and Italian Opens last season. “It’s going to be a tough match but I’m happy for the challenge,” the 24-year-old added.
Good, positive start
After starting sluggishly in her fourth-round win over former Wimbledon winner Elena Rybakina, where Swiatek found herself 6-1, 2-0 down before kicking into gear, she hit the ground running on Tuesday.
Swiatek broke Svitolina’s serve in the fourth game to take a 3-1 lead, before outlasting her opponent in two lengthy, tightly-contested games to consolidate her advantage. Swiatek forced the breakthrough at 5-5 with a powerful forehand down the line. She showed her killer instinct by holding again to 15 and sealing the win with back-to-back aces.
Earlier, reigning US Open champion Sabalenka defied the windy conditions and Zheng to avenge her recent loss to the Chinese star in Rome.
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