Swiatek extends her French Open record to reach semi-final against Sabalenka

Iga Swiatek, the undisputed queen of clay, has once again asserted her dominance at Roland-Garros, securing her spot in a remarkable fourth consecutive French Open semi-final. The Polish sensation dispatched Elina Svitolina with a 6-1, 7-5 victory on Wednesday, extending her incredible winning streak at the Parisian Grand Slam to 26 consecutive matches. Swiatek's last defeat on these hallowed clay courts dates back to the quarter-final stage in 2021.

Swiatek commanded the opening set, conceding only one game. The five-time Grand Slam champion showcased her defensive prowess by saving all three break points she faced, while clinically breaking Svitolina's serve in her final two service games to take a commanding lead.

The second set, however, proved to be a far more tightly contested affair. Buoyed by the Parisian crowd, Svitolina elevated her game, managing to break Swiatek for the first time in the match, establishing a 3-1 lead. Yet, true to her championship pedigree, Swiatek responded immediately, breaking back at her very first opportunity. Both players then held serve comfortably until a tense moment at 5-5. A rare double fault from Swiatek offered Svitolina a deuce opportunity, but the Ukrainian ultimately squandered it with a missed forehand return into the net. Swiatek capitalized decisively, holding her serve before converting another break point with impeccably deep returns, serving out the match with ease in the subsequent game to book her place in the final four.

During her on-court interview, the three-time defending champion reflected on her performance: "I should have had better intensity in the beginning of the second set. When Elina loses, she steps up. I wanted to be proactive and be in the game and I am happy I did that."

Swiatek on Sabalenka clash: 'It's always a challenge'

Swiatek's formidable semi-final opponent will be Aryna Sabalenka, setting up what promises to be an epic confrontation between the sport's two dominant forces. Swiatek currently holds an 8-4 lead in their head-to-head record, though it was the Belarusian World No. 1 who claimed victory in their most recent encounter, a 6-3, 6-3 win in Cincinnati last season.

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"The Madrid final against her is one of the best and most exciting finals that I have played," Swiatek stated after her quarter-final victory. "It is always a challenge against Aryna. She really has a game for every surface, so I just need to focus on myself, do the work, be brave in my shots and just go for it." She concluded with a clear focus on the task ahead: "I’m going to prepare tactically tomorrow for sure. She has been having a great season so I’m not going to lie, it is going to be a tough match. But I’m happy for the challenge.”

The highly anticipated semi-final is scheduled for Thursday, promising a "battle of the titans" where the winner will undoubtedly emerge as the overwhelming favorite for Saturday's showpiece final.