Swiatek faces Sabalenka in blockbuster French Open semi-final
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Home heroine Lois Boisson takes on world quantity two Coco Gauff within the different ladies’s last-four conflict on Court Philippe Chatrier.
Here, AFP Sport takes a have a look at the day’s two semi-finals :
The greatest rivalry within the present ladies’s recreation will get its first instalment since final August in Cincinnati when the reigning champion goes up in opposition to the highest seed.
Swiatek holds an 8-4 successful document in opposition to Sabalenka, however got here into the event below a cloud after a disappointing clay-court season and with out even a closing look since lifting the Coupe Suzanne Lenglen 12 months in the past.
But the Pole is on a exceptional 26-match successful streak within the French Open and will grow to be the primary girl to win 4 straight titles at Roland Garros since Suzanne Lenglen 102 years in the past.
“I don’t know if she elevates my game,” she mentioned of Sabalenka.
“But for sure our rivalry is pushing both of us, I think, but it’s not only about the level of tennis. It’s about like everything, how we work, and how professional we are.”
The pair practised collectively within the build-up to the event, and Sabalenka credit their bettering relationship off-court to a dance video they did for TikTok finally 12 months’s WTA Finals.
Sabalenka has solely overwhelmed Swiatek as soon as on clay, within the 2023 Madrid Open closing.
Their most memorable conflict was the 2024 closing within the Spanish capital when Swiatek saved three championship factors and received in a deciding-set tie-break.
“We’ve had a lot of great battles in the past,” Sabalenka mentioned after her quarter-final win over Zheng Qinwen.
“I’m super excited to go out there and to fight and to do everything I need to get the win.”
Sabalenka has powered by means of the draw up to now with out dropping a set.
Swiatek has additionally been in dominant kind, with the exception a battling comeback victory over Elena Rybakina within the fourth spherical, a efficiency she mentioned she “needed”.
French world quantity 361 Boisson remains to be dreaming of a fairytale title triumph on her Grand Slam debut after a memorable quarter-final conquer rising Russian star Mirra Andreeva.
The 22-year-old Boisson missed out on making her first Roland Garros look final 12 months after struggling a knee damage the week earlier than the event, however has greater than made up for misplaced time with a surprising run by means of the draw.
She had by no means performed a top-50 opponent earlier than this week, however has now overwhelmed two within the high 10 in third-ranked Jessica Pegula and world quantity six Andreeva to arrange her last-four conflict with Gauff.
“I think every kid who plays tennis has the dream to win a Slam. More for French players to win Roland Garros, for sure,” mentioned Boisson.
“So, yeah, it’s a dream. For sure I will go for the dream, because my dream is to win it, not to be in the semi-final.”
Andreeva was overwhelmed by the environment on Court Philippe Chatrier as she misplaced the final six video games of her quarter-final in opposition to Boisson.
But Gauff has a plan to try to block out the noise from the partisan dwelling crowd.
“I think there are two ways I have done it in the past. Either, A: just pretend they’re cheering for you, and B: just using it and not letting that get to you,” she mentioned after defeating Australian Open champion Madison Keys within the final eight.
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