Sabalenka dethrones Swiatek, Gauff ends Boisson’s dream run

PARIS: Top two tennis stars Aryna Sabalenka and Coco Gauff – world number one and two respectively –reached the French Open final after defeating their opponents on Thursday.

In the first semi-final, Sabalenka battled past four-times champion Swiatek to reach her first French Open final with a 7-6(1) 4-6 6-0 victory that ended the Pole’s reign in Paris and snapped her 26-game winning streak in the tournament.

The Belarusian’s power proved too much for the defending champion, who was looking to become the first female player in the Open era since 1968 to win four consecutive titles in Paris.

Swiatek had won the previous three editions along with her maiden crown in 2020.

The top seed will now play Gauff in Saturday’s showcase match.

JUST THRILLED

“Honestly, it feels incredible but I understand the job is not done yet. I’m just thrilled today with this win and the atmosphere,” Sabalenka said.

“She’s the toughest opponent, especially on clay, especially at Roland Garros. It was a tough match it was a tricky match but I managed.”

Sabalenka, playing her second French open semi-final and seeking her first title in Paris, powered into a 3-0 lead, twice breaking the Pole. She kept attacking her opponent’s serve with Swiatek winning just 35 per cent of her points on her second serve.

Swiatek, who late last year accepted a one-month doping ban and came into the tournament without a single title win this season, had reached the semi-finals dropping just one set in five matches. But she looked completely out of sorts.

With seven unforced errors in the first three games, she was playing catch up from the start.

The Pole, struggled with her serve and had racked up two double faults by the fifth game.

She gradually, however, found her range and precision, countering Sabalenka’s raw power with superb ball placement and levelled when her opponent double-faulted on break point.

The Belarusian was furious, angrily shouting to her team in the box, before overrunning her opponent in the tiebreak.

The pair traded breaks at the start of the second set before Swiatek earned another to level the match.

SABALENKA BAGEL

But Sabalenka was not to be denied, breaking the 24-year-old world number five at the start of the third to take control.

“I think the pace from her was super fast,” Swiatek said. “Especially at the beginning of the match, she played just kind of as hard as possible and pretty risky. So it was just hard to get into any rally.”

“In the third set I feel like we kind of came back to what happened in the first, and she for sure used her chances, and I didn’t really keep up what I was doing in the second set.”

Sabalenka gave her opponent no chance with her thunderous groundstrokes, powering through the decider as Swiatek ran out of steam.

“It could not be more perfect than that,” Sabalenka said of her third-set performance.

“I’m super proud right now, I’m glad I found my serve (again in the third set).”

END OF ROAD TO BOISSON

Gauff ended local heroine Lois Boisson’s dream run at the French Open with a ruthless 6-1 6-2 victory to set up a final clash with top seed Sabalenka.

Read more: Boisson goes from crowdfunding to bumper payday in Paris

Laser-focused, the world number two from the US subdued the French wild card and the home crowd to speed through the contest on Court Philippe Chatrier and reach the Roland Garros final for the second time after she lost to Swiatek in 2022.

Ranked 361st in the world, Boisson had downed world number three Jessica Pegula and Russia’s Mirra Andreeva in the previous rounds, but she looked deflated against Gauff.

The 22-year-old will, however, pocket a career-changing 690,000 euros ($789,567) in prize money, while Gauff will have the chance to secure her second Grand Slam title after winning the 2023 US Open.