Key events
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All of Gauff’s 10 defeats to Swiatek came in straight sets, including the 2022 final at Roland Garros and last year’s quarterfinals. What’s difficult for the 20-year-old in this match is that for all her strengths – her backhand, her athleticism, her mentality – she has an iffy forehand that Swiatek can target with her own forehand, which is so powerful and powerful . topspin heavy.
And here come the players, wearing headphones, as always. That’s a shame, because they probably can’t quite hear the loud reception from the crowd. But it’s good to see that the stands are almost full. The Parisian customers have been a bit late so far these two weeks, but they don’t want to be late here.
Gauff on the mental challenge of facing Swiatek:
I think you just get older and learn to deal with the pressure a little bit more. I don’t have a mental coach or anything like that in sports, but it’s something I knew I had to improve on and just be more positive… and realized that I can’t beat myself or have my opponent beat me.
She is definitely a tough opponent for me and for everyone. I guess I’ll just have to go back and watch [previous matches] and try to find what to do.
I think she’s playing great tennis here, so it will be a challenge, but I’m going into the match with a lot of confidence that I can do it.
Swiatek on why she doesn’t take Gauff lightly despite beating her in 10 of their 11 meetings:
I think her mental game is a little better, and before it was a little easier to ‘crack’ her, I would say, when you were in charge.
But it’s normal for her to make progress. She is at that age where everything is going quite well and if you work hard, you make progress.
Probably every aspect of her playing is a little bit better because yeah, it’s different being a teenager on tour and then being a more mature player.
One match has already been played today at Philippe Chatrier, with Britain’s Neal Skupski and his American partner Desirae Krawczyk losing the mixed doubles final6-4, 7-5 for Laura Siegemund and Edouard Roger-Vasselin.
Elsewhere, another Briton, Alfie Hewett, has been knocked out in the semi-finals of the men’s wheelchair singles. The top seed was defeated 7-5, 6-7 (1), 6-2 by Argentinian Gustavo Fernandez.
Another trip down memory lane:
Or you almost have enough time for it look at this. YouTube falls short in the search for “Henin 2007 final”, but here is Seles beating Steffi Graf in the 1992 final:
Would you like to read something while we wait?
Order of play
COURT PHILIPPE CHATRIER
3pm/2pm BST
(1) Iga Swiatek (Poland) v (3) Coco Gauff (USA)
Not before 5pm/4pm BST
(12) Jasmine Paolini (Italy) v Mirra Andreeva (Russia)
Preamble
Tennis, fucking hell. Just eight days ago, Iga Swiatek was down in the second round and nearly knocked out against an inspired Naomi Osaka. She came from 5-2 down in the final set and saved a match point to keep her bid for a third consecutive French Open title alive.
But instead of this escape creating any doubt in the world number 1’s mind, it has had the opposite effect. Since then, she has treated her opponents with utter contempt, conceding just eight in three matches (winning half of those six sets 6-0), and making Marketa Vondrousova look like a world number 500 instead of as a reigning Wimbledon champion in the competition. 6-0, 6-2 quarter final.
Yesterday’s results gave her even more momentum as her toughest rivals on tour, Aryna Sabalenka and Elena Rybakina, were bundled into the other half of the draw. Swiatek knows that if she gets past Coco Gauff in their semi-final today – and chances are she will find this a profitable match for her, having defeated the American in 10 of their 11 meetings – she will be the winner. overwhelming favorite in Saturday’s final against Mirra Andreeva or Jasmine Paolini.
But if this were all about Swiatek, it would be a disservice to Gauff — and Andreeva and Paolini. There was so much to like about Gauff this tournament, especially the way she handled a resurgent Ons Jabeur in her courageous three-set comeback victory on Tuesday. Gauff – still just 20 – will become the new world number 2 next week, a reward for the highest level of consistency she has achieved since winning the US Open last year. And Andreeva and Paolini deserve a lot of credit for the way they overcame their much illustrious opponents yesterday; one of them will now reach their first slam final.
Swiatek knows this title is now hers, which would make her only the third woman to win three consecutive Roland Garros titles in the Open era, after Monica Seles in 1990-92 and Justine Henin in 2005-07. But yesterday’s shockwaves still reverberate around Roland Garros, reminding us that nothing is guaranteed. And that is of course why we are watching.
Play starts at: 2pm BST/3pm Paris time. Don’t be late!
