PARIS: Iga Swiatek closed in on a third successive French Open title Thursday as she defeated Coco Gauff 6-2, 6-4 in the semifinals, while Novak Djokovic said surgery on his injured knee “went well.”
World number one Swiatek extended her winning run in Paris to 20 matches and advanced to a fourth Roland Garros final in five years, with 17-year-old Mirra Andreeva or Italy’s Jasmine Paolini standing between her and another title.
Swiatek, who had won 10 of her previous 11 meetings with Gauff in straight sets, wasted no time in grabbing the initiative as she broke the US Open champion in the opening game of the match.
The Pole withstood break points in her first two service games, before striking again to move up a double break at 4-1.
She closed out the first set without trouble, but third seed Gauff threatened a fightback when she nosed 3-1 ahead in the second set after wiping away tears following an argument with the chair umpire over the timing of a line call.
Swiatek though responded the very next game and won four in a row to surge to the cusp of victory.
Gauff saved two match points to make Swiatek serve it out, which the top seed eventually did at the fourth time of asking.
“It was intense. In the second set it was tight because we were breaking each other,” said Swiatek.
“I was consistent with my tactics, didn’t overthink stuff and just went for it in the end.”
Swiatek improved to 34-2 at the French Open after beating Gauff at Roland Garros for the third tournament in a row.
She has won all four of her previous Grand Slam finals and could become only the fourth woman to win four Roland Garros titles in the Open era — after Justine Henin, Chris Evert and Steffi Graf.
Swiatek is also on track to join Serena Williams as the only women to complete the treble of French, Madrid and Rome Open titles in the same year.
Russian Andreeva, the youngest Grand Slam semifinalist since Martina Hingis in 1997, takes on the unheralded Paolini in the other last-four encounter.
Andreeva stole the headlines in the quarter-finals with a shock victory over world number two Aryna Sabalenka, who was hit by a stomach bug, becoming the youngest woman to reach a Slam semifinal since Hingis at the US Open 27 years ago.
She will now bid to back up that statement performance against 12th seed Paolini, who also got through with a surprise win against former Wimbledon champion Elena Rybakina.
Both Andreeva and Paolini had never reached the quarters at a major tournament before this week, but are now just one match from the final.
With another win, Andreeva will also be the youngest Slam finalist since Hingis, who won the 1997 US Open aged 16.
The pair met for the only previous time earlier this year in the Madrid Open last 16, when Andreeva came out on top in two tight sets.
“I remember our match in Madrid. I remember that it was tough,” said Andreeva. “She played really good tennis, and after I was able to catch up a little bit.
“I’m sure that it will a great match.”
Paolini had never got past the second round at a Grand Slam before this year, but the 28-year-old has been much improved in 2024, also reaching the Australian Open last 16.
“She’s so young but she’s so, so good mentally, and she can defend very well,” Paolini said of her upcoming opponent.
“It’s going to be a tough match, but we are in the semifinal, so there is no chance to get easy matches.”
Djokovic confirmed Thursday he had undergone an operation on his right knee he injured during his last-16 win.
The 24-time Grand Slam winner Djokovic was forced to withdraw ahead of his Roland Garros quarter-final against Casper Ruud after a scan revealed a torn medial meniscus in his right knee.
“In the past day, I had to make some tough decisions after sustaining a meniscus tear during my last match,” he posted on social media.
“I’m still processing it all but I am happy to update you that the surgery went well.”
The 37-year-old made no mention of whether he would be fit to take part at Wimbledon which begins on July 1 but added that he was going to “do my best to be healthy and fit to return to the court as soon as possible.”
Swiatek downs Gauff to reach French Open final, Djokovic has surgery
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Swiatek downs Gauff to reach French Open final, Djokovic has surgery
- World number one Swiatek extended her winning run in Paris to 20 matches and advanced to a fourth Roland Garros final in five years
- The Pole withstood break points in her first two service games, before striking again to move up a double break at 4-1
Top seeds head into last 16 on a windy afternoon at the Dubai Tennis Championships
- Coco Gauff (No. 3 seed), Jessica Pegula (No. 4), Mirra Andreeva (No. 5) and Belinda Bencic (No. 9) all progress
- Last year’s beaten finalist, Clara Tauson (No. 12), and rising US star Iva Jovic (No. 16) also still in the hunt, as is ‘lucky loser’ Antonia Ruzic
DUBAI: A raft of seeds booked passage into the Round of 16 at the Dubai Duty Free Tennis Championships as the action heated up amid glorious, if breezy, winter conditions on Tuesday.
Nine matches were completed during daylight hours on day three of the WTA 1000 event at the Dubai Duty Free Tennis Stadium. Coco Gauff, the World No. 4, and No. 3 seed this week, defeated Anna Kalinskaya 6-4, 6-4 in little more than 90 minutes.
As blustery winds swirled across Center Court, the conditions were challenging for both players and the momentum of the game resembled a pendulum. Ultimately, however, the American prevailed against the Russian, who had defeated her en route to the 2024 final at the event.
“It wasn’t the prettiest win but it was enough for today,” said Gauff.
Regarding the weather conditions that caused havoc for both players, she added: “It was pretty windy; it felt very open on the (Royal Box) side, so I was trying to adjust a lot and was struggling with consistency. Every time I’ve been here it’s not been windy, so today was different.”
Gauff will face Elise Mertens in the last 16 on Wednesday, after the Belgian dispatched 14th seed Emma Navarro of the US 6-2, 6-2 in just 75 minutes on Court 1.
Asked how she will prepare, Gauff said: “I feel fine; it wasn’t that long of a match. (My focus) will be more trying to work on things I need for tomorrow’s match.”
Also on Center Court, No. 4 seed Jessica Pegula made quick work of French qualifier Varvara Gracheva, requiring just 70 minutes to triumph 6-4, 6-0. The world No. 5’s victory set up an all-American clash with talented young compatriot Iva Jovic, who saw off Russia’s Diana Shnaider 6-4, 1-6, 6-0.
Last year’s defeated Dubai finalist, Clara Tauson of Denmark, continued her fine run of form with a trouble-free 6-2, 6-4 victory on Court 2 over Peyton Stearns of the US. The reward for Tauson, who eliminated 2020 Australian Open champion Sofia Kenin in the first round, is an eagerly anticipated showdown with Polish seed-extinguisher Magda Linette, who ousted World No. 12 Ekaterina Alexandrova, this week’s No. 8 seed, in a 6-2, 4-6, 6-1 roller coaster.
The 2019 Dubai champion, Belinda Bencic of Switzerland, progressed to the last 16 in a walkover after the injury-enforced withdrawal of Czech wildcard Sara Bejlek. Russian No. 5 seed Mirra Andreeva also received a walkover win when Russian-Australian Daria Kasatkina withdrew before play began.
Andreeva, the reigning champion, will face Jaqueline Cristian in the last 16 on Wednesday after the Romanian progressed past German qualifier Ella Seide, who retired after losing the first set 6-0.
Finally, Antonia Ruzic — the “lucky loser” who was defeated in the first qualifying round but made it to the main tournament as an alternate following withdrawals, and then sent British star Emma Raducanu packing on Monday evening — maintained her solid form to progress.
The Croatian saw off Anastasia Zakharova 6-1, 6-7, 6-1 in her second three-set epic in less than 24 hours. Depending on the evening’s remaining results, Ruzic could now face top seed Elena Rybakina of Kazakhstan in the last 16. She was due to plays Australian qualifier Kimberly Birrell on Center Court at 7pm UAE time on Tuesday.
The 26th annual WTA event, which continues until Feb. 21, featured 16 of the top 20-ranked female players in the world, and 33 from the top 40.
