Admittedly, Swiatek, 33 wins in a row, is anything but a surprise.

But few people had anticipated the rest of the cast.

In question, a new slaughter in the world top 10.

In 2021, with Maria Sakkari (then 18th), Tamara Zidansek (85th), Anastasia Pavlyuchenkova (32nd) and Barbora Krejcikova (33rd and future winner), it was the first time since 1968 that none of the world's top 10 appeared in the semi-finals.

And this year the scenario almost happened again: Barbora Krejcikova (2nd in the world, defending champion), Maria Sakkari, (N.3, semi-finalist 2021), Paula Badosa (N.4), Anett Kontaveit (N.5 ), Ons Jabeur (N.6), Aryna Sabalenka (N7), Karolina Pliskova (N.8), Danielle Collins (N.9) and Garbine Muguruza, (N.10), none reached the second week.

Only Swiatek saved the honor, to reach his third semi-final the day after his 21st birthday.

Although heckled in the round of 16 for a first set lost against the Chinese Qinwen Zheng (74th), the Pole did not tremble on Wednesday against the pugnacious Jessica Pegula (11th).

"I learned to better manage the pressure and the expectations around me. Today I felt more liberated compared to the previous rounds", explained the one who has just won the last five tournaments in which she has participated.

"Mountain to Climb"

So will his future opponent be able to make the weight?

Kasatkina, 20th in the world, will discover the last four of a Grand Slam, but she arrives in the semi-finals without having lost a single set.

"Tomorrow, I have another mountain to climb", admitted the Russian who lost her three confrontations with the Pole.

"But it was different, it was on hard, at the beginning of the year. (...) I want to win, I have the rage to win, too. It will be a good match, "he said. she judged, before adding: "you never know what can happen in the semi-finals of a Grand Slam".

American Coco Gauff during her quarter-final of the Roland-Garros tournament against American Sloane Stephens, in Paris, May 31, 2022 Anne-Christine POUJOULAT AFP

Swiatek herself does not want to be "too confident": "I know that I have to expect everything".

At the bottom of the table too, anything can happen.

Gauff is a phenomenon of precocity, revealed in 2019 when she had climbed to the round of 16 at Wimbledon at only 15 years old after qualifying.

She is now 23rd in the world at only 18 years old.

Trevisan reached this week at 28 the best ranking of her career (59th).

Their common points?

None has ever participated in the last four of a Major.

And both have revenge to take at Porte d'Auteuil, after falling in the quarterfinals, last year for the American and in 2020 for the Italian.

It was that year that the two players had played their only meeting, and it was Trevisan who won after a disputed match.

Unpublished finalist

"I had done a lot of double faults, more than 10. I won't do it again this time," Gauff promised.

"But to be honest, for me, semi-final or not, it's just one more game. What matters to me is the ball that comes in front of me. And I'll give everything I have" , she warned.

Trevisan, who has already brought down another promising youngster in the quarterfinals (Leylah Fernandez, 19, finalist of the last US Open) will be just as combative: "I like fighting, adrenaline, (...) I feel full of energy (...) I think I'm playing my best tennis and I can't wait to see what the future holds for me".

Italian Martina Trevisan in her ladies' singles quarter-final against Canadian Leylah Fernandez at Roland-Garros in Paris on May 31, 2022 Anne-Christine POUJOULAT AFP

The only certainty: whatever the outcome of the match, Roland-Garros will once again have an unprecedented final.

© 2022 AFP