Dominant Swiatek sets up semi-final showdown with Gauff

admin admin | 06-05 00:16

Defending champion Iga Swiatek declared that she was in the zone as her quest for a fourth French Open title hit top gear after a 6-0 6-2 victory over former runner-up Marketa Vondrousova sent her through to the last four.

The 23-year-old's 62-minute workout set up a seismic last-four encounter with American Coco Gauff, who survived an Ons Jabeur onslaught to reach the semi-finals, in a repeat of the 2022 final won by the Pole who will look to improve her 10-1 overall record against the third seed.

"Today it was pretty straightforward. I'm happy that I kept my focus. Sometimes I felt the game was pretty intense," Swiatek said after making the Roland Garros semi-finals for the fourth time in five years.

"Sometimes the intensity went down a bit. I wanted to just play my game no matter what was coming back from Marketa. I felt like I was in the zone today."

Swiatek wasted little time to start firing in the clash of reigning Grand Slam champions on Court Philippe Chatrier as she built a 5-0 lead over Wimbledon winner Vondrousova and wrapped up the opening set when the fifth seed hit a shot long.

It was the top seed's third bagel in a row following her demolition of Russian Anastasia Potapova and she achieved it by dictating points from all parts of the court to completely overwhelm 2019 finalist Vondrousova.

The Czech cut a frustrated figure but finally got on board in the second set following a rare Swiatek mistake and earned a break point in the next game, but could not stop her ruthless rival from extending her winning run on clay to 17 matches.

Madrid and Rome champion Swiatek broke for a 3-1 lead and never looked back, sealing victory when Vondrousova hit a shot into the net, and she quickly turned her attention to Gauff.

"It's good to keep going and not think of this match as something huge," Swiatek said.

"Against Coco it isn't easy. She really likes clay, especially here. I'll just focus on myself and I'll prepare tactically and we'll see."

Coco Gauff: 'I love playing in this atmosphere'

Third seed Gauff fell a set behind as Jabuer, looking to reach the last four at Roland Garros for the first time, went after the American's serve from the start and broke for 4-3.

Gauff saved two set points on her own serve but Jabeur finished the job with the ball in her hand, hammering down an ace to clinch it.

Jabeur retrieved an early break in the second but Gauff hit straight back when the Tunisian drilled a forehand wide.

The balance of power had shifted when Jabeur, the eighth seed, dunked a forehand into the net to hand Gauff the double break and the second set.

When US Open champion Gauff broke and then held for 4-1 in the decider, Jabeur had won just two of 11 games.

The Tunisian flags on Court Philippe Chatrier fluttered briefly when she managed a solid hold to love and then moved to 0-30 with a spectacular leaping forehand winner.

But the fightback was quickly snuffed out as 20-year-old Gauff, the runner-up in Paris two years ago, registered a 4-6 6-2 6-3 victory in an hour and 57 minutes.

She said: "Ons is a tough opponent and well loved on tour, I can tell you guys wanted her to win, and when I'm watching her I want her to win too.

"I love playing in this atmosphere. I was just thinking, 'this is really fun, win or lose'. I have a lot of love here in Paris too and I really appreciate it.

"I was trying to be more aggressive, she was playing really well the whole match, hitting a lot of winners. I got a little bit tight but I did what I needed to do to win the match."

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