FRENCH OPEN. by Emiliano Naftali
The current number one player will face Czech player Muchova this Saturday, who eliminated Sabalenka, the world number two.
Iga Swiatek will be in the Roland Garros final for the third time. The current world number one defeated Brazilian Beatriz Haddad Maia 6-2, 7-6 (7). The Polish tennis player, who was the champion in Paris in 2020 and 2022, will face Czech player Karolina Muchova for the title on Saturday. Muchova caused a surprise by eliminating Aryna Sabalenka, the world number two, with a score of 7-6 (5), 6-7 (5), 7-5.
Haddad Maia (world number 14) pushed Swiatek to the longest match she has played, lasting 2 hours and 9 minutes. The Brazilian player, relying on her powerful forehand shots and her serve, kept up in the second set where she took a 3-1 lead and forced a tiebreak (9-7).
Muchova denied Sabalenka a spot in the final after a match that lasted 3 hours and 13 minutes, saving a match point in the third set when trailing 2-5. The 26-year-old Czech player, ranked 43rd in the world, who had never made it past the third round in Paris, will play her first Grand Slam final on Saturday, after reaching the semifinals of the Australian Open in 2021.
In her career, Muchova has only won one title so far, which was in Seoul in 2019. In the first round of the tournament, she caused a surprise by eliminating Greek player Maria Sakkari (world number 8), and she reached the semifinals without dropping a set.
Muchova’s effectiveness in converting break points (5 out of 5) tipped the scales in her favor against a nervous and inaccurate Sabalenka, who accumulated up to 53 unforced errors, including 6 double faults, and only capitalized on 4 out of 13 break points. The Belarusian player, who was the champion in Australia this season, had the opportunity in Paris to fight for the world number one ranking if she had won the title.