It is not his most dominant victory of the tournament but it is the one that sends him to the final. Iga Swiatek had to work on Thursday, June 8 to beat Brazil's Beatriz Haddad Maia, ranked 14th in the world. She will face Czech Karolina Muchova on Saturday in her third final at Porte d'Auteuil, at only 22 years old.
The world number 1, however, began her semi-final of Roland-Garros on a scare. She conceded a shutout and the entry break. But the Pole has seen others. She immediately rebounds by taking the service of her opponent.
The defending champion is eye-catching. On several occasions, she methodically repels the assaults of the powerful Brazilian left-hander and systematically hangs her on her stakes. Yet she faces a hostile crowd. The sparse tribunes of Philippe-Chatrier have clearly taken up the cause of Beatriz Haddad Maia.
The Pole resists the attacks of her opponent and ends up making the break following a cushioning of backhand missed by the latter (4-2). She confirmed in the wake and took the set after 39 minutes.
A 15-minute long game
The first game of the second round is hooked. It took more than 15 minutes for Swiatek to bring him back to his scarcelle, the Brazilian valiantly resisting several decisive points. Haddad Maia manages to make the break on the next play of his opponent (2-1) relying on a forehand that puts the number 1 in difficulty.
As in the first set, Iga Swiatek did not panic. She sticks to her opponent and then overtakes her after a new game where she ends up making the difference on a lucky rebound (4-3).
On the next serve, Beatriz Haddad Maia created three chances to make the break in a decisive moment. But the Brazilian has a hand that trembles at the time of concretization (5-4). And at the end of the next three games, it is clear that the fate of this semi-final will change to a decisive game.
"1-1", "2-2", "3-3"... The tie-break was tight and contested when suddenly, the Brazilian took a decisive advantage on Swiatek's first serve (5-3). But the latter does not give up: she equalizes but offers a set ball to her opponent. She erases it and then offers herself a match ball that she fails to materialize after a long rally of 15 exchanges. Not panicked, she offers herself a second match ball.
It doesn't matter how long she has the final. Iga Swiatek took the opportunity to qualify for the opportunity of a third title at Roland-Garros. With the symbolic challenge of becoming the first woman since Justine Hénin (2006, 2007) to win two consecutive tournaments.
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