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World No.1 Iga Swiatek has put in a solid display in the quarter-finals of the French Open, sweeping sixth-seeded American Coco Gauff aside 6-4, 6-2.
Swiatek kept her title defence on track in a rematch of last year’s final, which the Pole won 6-1, 6-3.
Gauff is now 0-7 against Swiatek and is yet to take a set off her.
World No.1 Iga Swiatek im full flight against Coco Gauff.Credit: Getty Images
Swiatek will play Beatriz Haddad Maia in the semi-finals after the Brazilian fought back from a set down to beat seventh seed Ons Jabeur in the other quarter.
Jabeur has dreams of becoming the first Tunisian and first African woman to win a grand slam singles title – instead, it’s Haddad Maia who is making history for her country after her 3-6, 7-6 (7-5), 6-1 win.
Jabeur was bidding to reach her third major semi-final in less than a year, but her plans were scuppered by the 14th-seeded left-hander who fought back from a set down to book her first last-four appearance in a major.
Beatriz Haddad Maia, of Brazil, after beating Tunisian Ons Jabeur in the quarter-finals.Credit: Getty Images
The world No. 14 became the first Brazilian woman since Maria Bueno in 1968 to reach a slam semi-final and the first female player from her country to book a last-four spot at Roland Garros in the Open era.
The last Brazilian to win a singles crown at the French Open was Gustavo Kuerten, who claimed his third Roland Garros men’s titles in 2001.
The Tunisian, a finalist at Wimbledon and the US Open last year, bagged a couple of quick breaks to move into the driving seat in the first set as Haddad Maia struggled to deal with her opponent’s flat groundstrokes.
Both players held serve without conceding a single break point until 5-5 in the second when Jabeur went 40-15 up on Haddad Maia’s serve but failed to convert either break point.
Her opponent also wasted a chance in the next game but levelled after winning the tie-breaker.
She raced into a 5-1 lead in the decider as Jabeur’s game fell apart, Haddad Maia sealing a memorable win when her opponent sent an easy forehand long on the first match point.
Reuters
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