French Open: Swiatek and Sabalenka Set for Semifinal Showdown
Iga Swiatek and Aryna Sabalenka advanced to the semifinals of the French Open on Tuesday, setting the stage for a highly anticipated clash between the reigning champion and the world No. 1.
Swiatek, a three-time defending champion, continued her quest for a record fourth consecutive title by defeating 13th seed Elina Svitolina 6-1, 7-5 on Court Philippe Chatrier. The Polish fifth seed showcased her dominance, breaking Svitolina’s serve early in the match and maintaining her lead despite a competitive second set. Swiatek sealed her victory with back-to-back aces, demonstrating her killer instinct as she aims to match a 102-year record.
“I need to focus on myself, do the work and just go for it,” Swiatek said, looking ahead to her semifinal match against Sabalenka. The two have faced each other on clay before, with Swiatek coming out on top in their last two encounters.
Earlier in the day, Sabalenka, the top seed from Belarus, secured her spot in the semifinals with a straight-sets victory over Olympic champion Zheng Qinwen, winning 7-6 (7/3), 6-3. After a shaky start, Sabalenka rallied to defeat Zheng, who had previously beaten her in the quarterfinals of the Rome tournament.
“The last tournament I was pretty exhausted,” Sabalenka reflected. “Today I was more fresh and ready to battle.” The 27-year-old, a three-time Grand Slam winner, is determined to capture her first title in Paris, having previously reached the semifinals two years ago.
