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 semi-finals on Tuesday.
The 23-year-old’s 62-minute workout set up a last-four encounter with American Coco Gauff, 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.
Third seed Gauff fought back to beat fan-favourite Ons Jabeur 4-6, 6-2, 6-3 to become the first player to reach the semi-finals this year.
“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.
The Czech cut a frustrated figure but finally got on board in the second set following a rare Swiatek mistake and earned a breakpoint 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.
Against Gauff, Jabeur was roared on by a Tunisian contingent on Court Philippe-Chatrier as the American dropped the opening set. But Gauff grew in confidence in the second and stamped her authority in the third to reach the semi-finals for the second time.
“She’s a tough opponent, she’s well loved on tour and I could tell by the crowd today. I know you guys wanted her to win,” the reigning US Open champion Gauff said of Jabeur.
In an eight-minute game at 3-3, however, Jabeur finally converted a break point and the Tunisian hit a purple patch on serve as Gauff had no answer to her pinpoint winners and drop shots.
Jabeur made it 5-3 in a flash and nearly broke Gauff again before wrapping up the set on serve, sealing it with a searing ace.
Gauff grew in confidence in the second set while Jabeur faltered as the American converted all three break point opportunities to force a decider. Gauff carried that momentum into the third set and consolidated a break to go 4-1 up as Jabeur’s forehand deserted her.
Second seed in semis
Italian Jannik Sinner stepped up his bid for a second grand slam title by securing a 6-2, 6-4, 7-6(3) victory over Grigor Dimitrov to reach the semi-finals, minutes after it was confirmed he would be the new world No.1.
Although he didn’t know it at the time, the second seed will take top spot in the rankings on Monday regardless of who wins the French Open after defending champion Novak Djokovic pulled out with a knee injury before his quarter-final match.
Djokovic’s withdrawal will mean that 22-year-old Sinner will become the first Italian player to take the No. 1 spot since the ATP rankings were first published 51 years ago.
“What can I say? First of all it’s every player’s dream to be number one.
“On the other hand, seeing Novak retiring here is, for everyone, disappointing. I wish him a quick recovery,” Sinner said amid applause from the crowd.
Alexander Zverev survived a second straight five-set match here, downing Holger Rune in a last-16 tie which ended in the early hours of Tuesday morning.
The German fourth seed fought back to win 4-6, 6-1, 5-7, 7-6 (7-2), 6-2 after four hours and 11 minutes and set up a quarter final against Alex de Minaur.
