tennis
Swiatek against Paolini in the French Open final in Paris
Iga Swiatek is in the final of the French Open again. Photo
© Aurelien Morissard/AP/dpa
Swiatek from Poland is unstoppable at Roland Garros and is level with Steffi Graf. She is one more win away from her fourth title in Paris. Outsider Paolini from Italy awaits in the final.
The tennis players Iga Swiatek and Jasmine Paolini will fight for the French Open title in the final. The Polish top favorite Swiatek (23) continued her winning streak in Paris and reached the final for the third time in a row with a 6:2, 6:4 win against Coco Gauff (20) from the USA.
Afterwards, the Italian Paolini (28) celebrated by far the greatest success of her career with a 6:3, 6:1 win in the second semi-final against the 17-year-old Russian Mirra Andrejewa. In her first Grand Slam final ever, the world number 15 is a clear underdog against Swiatek on Saturday, who can celebrate her fourth triumph at the Stade Roland Garros since 2020.
“It was intense, very close in the second set. I’m very happy that I stuck to my tactics, didn’t think too much and finished it,” said Swiatek. Paolini said: “I was a bit nervous in the first set. But with every rally I became more relaxed. I’m very happy.”
Swiatek catches up with Graf
With her 20th consecutive victory in a French Open match, Swiatek equalled the record of German tennis icon Steffi Graf (1987 to 1989). However, the Pole is still 9 wins away from the record held by American Chris Evert.
Paolini also used her significantly greater experience against Andreyeva. The age difference of eleven years was the largest between two French Open semi-finalists since 1985, when the then 30-year-old Chris Evert faced the 15-year-old Gabriela Sabatini.
After her semi-final defeat in Paris, Gauff still has a chance of winning the title. In the women’s doubles, the US Open winner is in the semi-finals with Czech Katerina Siniakova against her compatriots Caroline Dolehide and Desirae Krawczyk.
“They boo because you’re wrong”
Gauff had already shed a few tears during the match. With the score at 2:1 and 0:15, a decision by the chair umpire upset her so much that she had to dry her moist eyes with her tennis wristband. “She’s only human and she’s 20 years young. I felt incredibly sorry for her, she was really desperate,” said former national coach Barbara Rittner on Eurosport.
The audience also reacted with some incomprehension. “They’re booing because you’re wrong,” Gauff said to the referee, who interpreted the timing of the call differently than the US player.