Swiatek primed for another shot at French Open title as semis loom

PARIS, June 1 (Reuters) – Cracks have appeared in Iga Swiatek’s armour in her last two French Open up matches, but it is even now hard to see earlier the Polish entire world number one particular as the hot favourite at Roland Garros as she gears up for her semi-remaining in Paris.

The 21-year-aged Swiatek has gained 33 game titles in a row and need to she see off Russian Daria Kasatkina on Thursday she will match Serena Williams’s profitable operate from 2013.

The 2020 winner, looking to turn out to be only the fourth female to raise the Suzanne Lenglen Cup much more than as soon as considering the fact that 2000 – just after Serena Williams, Justine Henin and Maria Sharapova – has dropped a person set and confirmed some early nerves in the quarter-finals.

But she appears to be in a different league tennis-smart, and Kasaktina, who has a effective forehand and a sturdy baseline video game, will need to have to be mentally difficult and discover a way other than by groundstrokes to throw the Pole off study course.

Kasatkina, 25, will be actively playing in her to start with key semi-finals and appears to like her likelihood even with having lost all a few of her matches towards Swiatek this yr in straight sets.

“We performed number of situations this calendar year, but I indicate Ok, I missing these matches, but that was a unique story. It was a difficult court, starting of the 12 months, I was not in the very same condition as I am now,” she stated.

“So I can not assess what we are going to have tomorrow and what we experienced in February, March when we were being playing. So it is going to be a totally different match.”

Just one factor is specific: Kasatkina will need to be ready from the very first place.

“I form of want to start from the beginning and possibly choose benefit of what I know about her match,” claimed Swiatek.

“The primary essential for me is to just engage in my tennis and participate in aggressively and check out to dominate from the commencing.”

In the other semi-final, American 18th seed Coco Gauff, who has been maturing into a strong claycourt player, faces Italian Martina Trevisan.

Gauff, 18, was stopped by eventual champion Barbora Krejcikova in the quarter-finals past 12 months and she is getting a various technique this time.

“I really feel like previous calendar year I was hunting at the finish line, and now I’m not on the lookout at just about anything definitely except that ball in entrance of me,” Gauff stated.

“So I believe to be truthful, likely into the future match I am just going to approach it the very same. I mean, I care about the outcomes, certainly, but also at the identical time I you should not. Like if I gave it my all I am not heading to be upset.”

The unseeded Trevisan produced it to the quarter-finals in 2020, where she lost to Swiatek, and she will now search to emulate her fellow Italians Francesca Schiavone and Sara Errani, finalists in 2010, 2011 and 2012. Schiavone gained the title in 2010.

Reporting by Julien Pretot Enhancing by Hugh Lawson

Our Standards: The Thomson Reuters Rely on Concepts.