Holder Iga Swiatek was tested by American sixth seed Coco Gauff in a rematch of their 2022 French Open title clash but the world No.1 showed her class to secure a 6-4, 6-2 victory and reach the semi-finals on Wednesday.

The top seed will take on Brazil’s Beatriz Haddad Maia in the last four as she continues her bid for a third crown in four years at Roland Garros and her fourth grand slam title overall.

“It was not easy,” said Swiatek, the first player since Conchita Martinez in 1995 to drop 15 games or fewer en route to the semi-finals in Paris.

“Especially the first set. It was tight and Coco was using the conditions well, so I was happy that I was able to win. The quarter finals are sometimes the toughest matches.

“Today (Wednesday) was a tighter match. I’ll be ready for the next one.”

Swiatek has adopted a more ruthless approach to her title defence dishing out four bagels in as many rounds but the Pole found the going tougher against a determined Gauff in the see-sawing opening set on Court Philippe Chatrier. After drawing first blood, she allowed the aggressive Gauff to hit back and level up at 3-3 by crashing a volley into the net before getting back on track to take the advantage in the clash with a superb crosscourt winner.

The 22-year-old pumped her fist and let out a big scream after that decisive point.

Swiatek took a tumble at the net after nearly being struck by a Gauff rocket before producing a tight hold for a 2-1 lead in the next set and dusted herself off to grab another break with a perfectly placed lob. She sealed her seventh victory over Gauff in as many matches by pouncing on her serve again and finished it off on her first matchpoint when the 19-year-old found the net.

Brazilian’s feat

Brazil’s Haddad Maia was left stunned following her quarter-final victory over seventh seed Ons Jabeur, crediting her patience for landing the biggest win of her career.

The 27-year-old battled from a set down to win a second set tie-break before running away with the third for a 3-6, 7-6(5), 6-1 victory and a first-ever spot in the last four.

“I think a tennis match is like a marathon. It’s not a 100m race,” the world No. 14 said. “I think one of my qualities is that I wait and I’m very patient and I never give up.”

She looked to be on her way out after the first set but refused to be broken in the entire second set to battle back and become the first Brazilian woman since Maria Bueno in 1968 to reach a Slam semi-final. She is also the first female player from her country to book a last-four spot at Roland Garros in the Open Era.

Following her winning match point, Haddad Maia put her hands on her head and looked around in disbelief.

“When the match was done, I just looked to my team and said, We made it. Like, we did,” she said.

Zverev’s 3 in a row

Alexander Zverev shrugged off a mid-match wobble to battle his way into a third consecutive French Open semi-final with a 6-4, 3-6, 6-3, 6-4 win over Argentine Tomas Martin Etcheverry.

The German exited Roland Garros in agony last year after tearing ankle ligaments in the semi-finals.

Zverev piled the pressure on Etcheverry’s serve early and was rewarded with a break in the seventh game, but the towering 26-year-old had to claw his way back from 15-40 in the next to hold on to his advantage.

The 22nd seed fired a huge backhand down the line before finishing with an easy winner to ensure world No. 49 Etcheverry dropped his first set of the tournament in five matches.