Aryna Sabalenka defeats Iga Swiatek to advance to French Open final against Coco Gauff

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Aryna Sabalenka defeats Iga Swiatek to advance to French Open final against Coco Gauff

5 months ago

News sources:

BBC 2

LEMONDE

DAWN

Aryna Sabalenka defeats Iga Swiatek to advance to French Open final against Coco Gauff

Credited from: DAWN

Aryna Sabalenka beats Iga Swiatek to reach her first French Open final.
Sabalenka ended Swiatek's impressive 26-match winning streak at the tournament.
Coco Gauff will face Sabalenka in the final after defeating Lois Boisson.

Aryna Sabalenka has advanced to her first French Open final after defeating four-time champion Iga Swiatek, ending her remarkable 26-match winning streak at the tournament with a score of 7-6 (7-1), 4-6, 6-0. After struggling initially, Sabalenka dominated the final set, showcasing her power and control on clay. "Iga is the toughest opponent, especially on the clay and at Roland Garros," Sabalenka remarked, expressing pride at her achievement, according to BBC and Le Monde.

The match was highlighted by a turbulent first set, featuring multiple breaks of serve. Despite Swiatek leveling the match with a strong second set performance, she faltered in the decisive set, recording a troubling 12 unforced errors, which marked only her third French Open defeat in her career. "It couldn't be much more perfect than that," said Sabalenka regarding the final set's convincing score, as reported by Le Monde and Dawn.

BBC.

In the other semi-final match, Coco Gauff decisively defeated French wildcard Lois Boisson with a score of 6-1, 6-2, thus setting up a final against Sabalenka. Gauff expressed her positivity about her performance and the upcoming match, stating, "Obviously there’s still a lot of work to do," after silencing the home crowd's hopes for Boisson who had a remarkable journey in the tournament, according to Dawn.

With the stage set for an exciting final, fans are eager to see if Sabalenka can secure her first Grand Slam title away from hard courts, and whether she can maintain her current form against Gauff, who previously defeated her in the 2023 US Open final, making this match up particularly compelling. Sabalenka's increasing dominance over Swiatek in their recent matches also adds to the intrigue of the championship showdown, as reported by Le Monde and BBC.