Iga Swiatek, the current champion, continues her winning streak at the 2023 French Open as she triumphed over American teen Coco Gauff. Swiatek’s win sets the stage for a semi-final showdown against Brazil’s 14th seed Beatriz Haddad Maia.
The world’s top-ranked player, Swiatek, who emerged victorious against Gauff in the 2022 finals, took the win with 6-4 6-2. Even though the game was more challenging than the previous year’s encounter, Swiatek’s prowess was evident in her seventh consecutive win over Gauff.
Haddad Maia, in a significant achievement, has made it to her first Grand Slam semi-final by defeating Tunisia’s Ons Jabeur. Despite never having progressed beyond the third round in any major tournament before, Haddad Maia managed to win with scores of 3-6 7-6 (7-5) 6-1. The 27-year-old has made history by becoming the first Brazilian woman to reach a Grand Slam semi-final since Maria Bueno in 1968.
Swiatek and Haddad Maia will be squaring off in the second semi-final on Thursday. This match will follow the meeting between the Belarusian second seed Aryna Sabalenka and unseeded Czech Karolina Muchova, which is scheduled to begin at 14:00 BST.
Swiatek has been an impressive player on the women’s circuit over the past 15 months, bagging some of the most prestigious titles in the sport, and she’s been particularly tough to defeat on clay courts.
Despite the rising form of Belarus’ Aryna Sabalenka and Kazakhstan’s Elena Rybakina this year and a thigh injury Swiatek suffered leading up to Roland Garros, she has once again established herself as a strong contender for the title.
The 22-year-old’s consistent and dominant performances, including her straight-set victory over sixth-seed Gauff, underline her status as a favorite. Swiatek has not yet lost a set in this tournament, dropping only 15 games in her five matches so far.
After defeating Gauff last year, the American teenager was visibly emotional, even hiding under a towel while waiting for the trophy presentations. Gauff has expressed her aim to maintain a more composed demeanor despite her frustrations.
Meanwhile, Haddad Maia is garnering attention for her stamina in long, grueling matches. She navigated a tough match against Spain’s Sara Sorribes Tormo in the Roland Garros fourth round, lasting almost four hours, and once again displayed her physical and mental toughness against Jabeur. Despite a challenging start where she was broken three times in the first set, Haddad Maia managed to claw back, demonstrating her never-give-up attitude.
5 comments
Wow, Swiatek is absolutely smashing it again! It’s like she’s unstoppable or something. Can’t wait to see her in the semis.
Didn’t see that coming with Haddad Maia. She was always under the radar, but look at her now! Go Maia!!!
Gauff needs to step it up, she’s a great player but always seems to lose it at the crucial moments. Hope she can turn it around.
It’s all about mental strength in this game, good on Haddad Maia for sticking with it even after a rough start.
Swiatek vs Haddad Maia in the semis, now that’s a match i can’t wait to watch! This French Open’s been full of surprises.