Swiatek-Gauff, the most exciting women's final in ages

• Iga Swiatek, the big favorite of the women's tournament, faces Cori Gauff in the Roland-Garros final this Saturday.

• This poster between the world number 1 and the one who has been considered for three years as a very great hope is the most promising for a long time in the Porte d'Auteuil women's table.

• Beyond their qualities on the court, they both have the potential to represent something bigger and revive a circuit in need of stars.

At Roland Garros,

Attention, this is a stunt performed by professionals, do not try to reproduce it at home.

We are talking about the little game that occupied us on Friday noon at Roland's canteen, with a few colleagues.

Simple question: who is able to name the finals of the women's draw in recent years?

Some names come back quickly, like Barty, Halep or Swiatek, of course, who already won two years ago.

But others much less.

Not so easy to come out like that Pavlyuchenkova, Vondrousova, Stephens or Muguruza.

All that to come to what really interested us: this presentiment that this year's one between Iga Swiatek and Cori Gauff, this Saturday, will remain.

Already, in terms of play, the level of the two women during this fortnight allows us to leave with some certainty.

The Polish, big favorite, certainly dropped a set en route against Zheng in the round of 16, but apart from this slight gap, she confirmed her current domination on the circuit by dropping less than four games per match (not per set eh ) on average.

His game while variations works wonders, and for 34 games now, not one of his opponents has been able to get out of it.

Gauff where we expected it

Under pressure arriving at Porte d'Auteuil, the world number 1 was pleasantly surprised by the way she assumed.

“I didn't know how I was going to play here.

The series could very well end, so I advanced step by step, she said after her quick victory in the semi-finals on Thursday.

I feel like I'm playing better and better every game, I'm proud of myself.

After Doha, Indian Wells, Miami, Stuttgart and Rome, the 21-year-old is just one victory away from a sixth trophy in a row.

Coco Gauff is getting where she should be.

Since her famous victory in the first round of Wimbledon at the age of 15 against Venus Williams, in 2019, which revealed her, she has climbed the steps at her own pace, reaching her first semi-final then first final this year in Paris.

You could say she took her time.

It would be forgotten that if we talk about it for a while, she is still only 18 years old.

She is thus the youngest finalist on Parisian clay since Kim Clijsters in 2001, and the youngest finalist of a Major since Maria Sharapova at Wimbledon in 2004. Beautiful references.

Photo of the Day (II)

Coco Gauff, French Open finalist at age 18

📸Ryan Pierse pic.twitter.com/xYTOp6E8MB

— Christopher Clarey 🇺🇸 🇫🇷 🇪🇸 (@christophclarey) June 2, 2022

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If she will not be the favorite this Saturday on the Central, the American has arguments to make.

She moves fast, hits hard, and misses almost nothing in forehand since the start of the tournament, where she has not yet lost a single set.

Above all, she displays an unprecedented relaxation, according to those who know her well.

“It's true, even my parents told me, observed the person concerned.

I do not know why.

Maybe that's what we call maturity.

Patrick Mouratoglou, who has welcomed Gauff into his academy since she was 12, described her progress in

on Thursday: "She arrived very young and she achieved results because she has incredible natural qualities, but there are had plenty of areas for improvement.

Which explains why it didn't explode right away.

But its evolution in the ranking is regular and it has progressed in many areas.

She was capable of beating anyone in a match, but managing her emotions during certain encounters was often very complicated, with a lot of slumps.

It's getting better and better.

»

You only have to see her victory full of authority in the semi-final against Martina Trevisan, who had beaten her in the 2nd round in 2020. The Italian was swept away, as two years ago, in quarter-finals, by Iga Swiatek.

She is rather well placed to give an opinion on the two tornadoes.

“It's difficult to compare these two opponents.

They are young, they are both very impressive.

We feel a strong pressure on the court against them, she explained Thursday.

They have a fairly similar forehand, very heavy.

And it's very difficult to play against them, obviously.

»

Congratulations from Michelle Obama

This final, we can say, is the best that could have happened to women's tennis.

Because beyond the court, it brings together the two players who are probably the most

in the making on the circuit.

We had rather bet on Ons Jabeur before the start of the fortnight to accompany Swiatek, but the Tunisian went out the window in the first round.

Coco Gauff took the opportunity to become embedded.

Nothing to complain about.

We find ourselves with the world number 1, a new charismatic figure, who is beginning to take on thickness and serve as a spokesperson for her colleagues, facing a much-awaited little prodigy whose positions do not go unnoticed in the States. United, including his latest against firearms, a few days after the shooting at the elementary school in Uvalde, Texas.

“I am a human being before being a tennis player, so these questions are important to me.

I will certainly not stop myself from expressing myself loud and clear on these subjects, ”claimed the American, who cites as examples LeBron James, Billie Jean King, Colin Kaepernick, Naomi Osaka or Serena Williams.

And who received – with emotion – the congratulations of Michelle Obama

.

Congratulations, @CocoGauff!

I'm so proud of you, and I will be rooting for you all the way!

🎾👏🏾 https://t.co/S9zbCh0Bxz

— Michelle Obama (@MichelleObama) June 3, 2022

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At a time when since the pre-retirement of the youngest of the Williams, precisely, women's tennis is looking for headliners, this final has a mouthful.

And it makes sense.

Coco Gauff is delighted “Behind the scenes, Iga is as nice as you can see at press conferences.

And that is very important, and very rare, she says.

This final, I want to win it, yes, but above all I am delighted to face it, precisely it.

»

Our Roland-Garros file

The Polish returns the favor.

“I'm happy that she's doing well.

She had a lot of pressure, it must have been difficult.

I imagine it took a lot of energy from him to deal with all that,” observes Swiatek.

Who admits to looking for the best way to assume the responsibilities incumbent on his new status.

“I don't know exactly how I want to fulfill this role.

I haven't found it yet,” she says, knowing very well that she still has to establish her authority on the courts.

Becoming the first woman to win Roland twice since Serena already seems like a good start.

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