World No. 1 Aryna Sabalenka and fifth-ranked Iga Swiatek dominated in their respective quarterfinal matches Tuesday, and will advance to the French Open semifinals at Roland Garros.
Sabalenka edged past No. 7 Zheng Qinwen of China to secure a 7-6(3), 6-3 win on Court Philippe-Chatrier. Sabalenka has reached the last four in nine of her past 10 grand slam tournaments, her only earlier loss coming in the quarter-finals in Paris last year (when she was ill with food poisoning). Sabalenka said after the match: “It felt like, ‘Alright, you want to see power? Here it is,’ I always treat these moments like a challenge—like, ‘Let’s see who’s better today.’”
Shortly after Sabalenka's win, reigning champion Swiatek also advanced with a 6-1, 7-5 win over No. 14 Elina Svitolina of Ukraine. The Polish star delivered 3 aces to Svitolina’s none and tallied 23 winners. Swiatek has now won 26 consecutive matches at the French Open, and is just two victories away from becoming the first woman in the Open era to win the French Open four years in succession. Swiatek shared: “Even though the score in the first set might look one-sided, every game was a battle. I’m proud of how I responded after she broke me in the second set and how I managed to keep up the pressure through the finish.”
The other half of the women’s quarterfinals will feature an all-American showdown between No. 8 Madison Keys and No. 2 Coco Gauff, set for Wednesday. Following that match, No. 6 Mirra Andreeva of Russia will take on French underdog Lois Boisson, currently ranked No. 361, in the final women’s quarterfinal. The winners of those two matches will go head-to-head in the other semifinal, with a chance to face either Swiatek or Sabalenka in the championship.
Sabalenka will face Swiatek in a high-stakes semifinal at Roland-Garros on Thursday; with the winner earning a spot in Saturday’s women’s singles final.
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