Paris: The world number one Aryna Sabalenka advanced to the semifinals of the ongoing French Open, defeating the current Olympic gold medalist and number eighth seed Zheng Qinwen in the final eight clash on Tuesday.
As per WTA, Sabalenka defeated Qinwen by 7-6(3), 6-3, reaching her seventh semifinal of the season. She came back from 4-2 down in the first set to secure the win.
This is Sabalenka’s 11th major semifinal overall, the most by a player since Maria Sharapova reached the French Open semis in 2011, and her second semifinal in Paris after 2023, when she lost to Karolina Muchova in a three-set game.
Sabalenka will be aiming for her sixth Grand Slam final and first-ever French Open final against fifth seed Iga Swiatek in the semi-final.
Until last month, Sabalenka enjoyed a massive edge over Qinwen, securing the first six encounters, but the Olympic gold medalist bounced back in the Rome Open quarterfinals, securing her first win 6-4, 6-3.
Speaking after the match, Sabalenka said, “I have to say I was pretty exhausted in Rome. Honestly, I was playing the tournament constantly thinking I should not be playing and I needed a little rest before Roland Garros.”
“I was actually glad I lost that match, because I needed a little break before Roland Garros. Today I was just fresher. I was ready to battle, I was ready to fight, I was ready to leave everything I had on court to get this win,” she added.
The world number one was extremely sharp against Qinwen, which marked the first top 10 win of her career at the French Open, as compared to six at the Australian Open and the US Open combined.
World No. 5 from Poland Iga Swiatek reached her fourth consecutive Roland Garros semifinal and extended her winning streak in Paris to 26 matches after dispatching Ukraine’s Elina Svitolina 6-1, 7-5 in a compelling quarterfinal clash.
With the victory, Swiatek became only the fifth player in the Open Era — male or female — to notch 25 or more consecutive singles wins at the French Open, joining the elite company of Rafael Nadal, Chris Evert, Bjorn Borg, and Monica Seles.
“It looks straightforward, but it wasn’t,” Swiatek admitted after the match. “I had to fight for every point, especially in the second set when she broke me. I’m proud I kept my intensity till the end.”
That intensity was key. While the first set saw Swiatek pull away despite three early break points for Svitolina, the second was a different battle altogether. The Ukrainian, who entered the match as the clay-court match-win leader this season with 16 victories and deep runs in Rouen, Madrid, and Rome, pushed Swiatek to the brink. She led 3-1 and then stood two points from taking the second set while up 5-4.
But as champions do, Swiatek found another gear. She survived that game, then pounced on a second serve in the next with a blistering crosscourt forehand return to break for 6-5. Moments later, with the match on her racquet, she fired two aces in a row — her second and third of the match — to close out the contest in 1 hour and 41 minutes. (Agencies)
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