Swiatek into semis with 33rd win in a row

Julien Pretot | June 2, 2022

World No.1 Iga Swiatek has shaken off early nerves to extend her winning series to a staggering 33 as she beat American Jessica Pegula 6-3 6-2 to book her spot in the French Open semi-finals.

Swiatek, who turned 21 on Tuesday, is on the longest unbeaten run on the women’s tour since Serena Williams bagged 34 victories in succession in 2013.

The Polish player, gunning for a second title in three years at Roland Garros, appeared a tad shaky in the initial games on Wednesday before marching past the 11th seed to set up a meeting with Russian Daria Kasatkina for a place in Saturday’s final.

Kasatkina had earlier downed compatriot Veronika Kudermetova 6-4 7-6 (7-5) to reach the Roland Garros last four for the first time.

“She was playing very low, so to be good I had to be low on my legs. It was the key and I’m pretty happy I was playing with a good dynamic to push her back a little bit,” said Swiatek on a sunbathed, yet windswept Court Philippe Chatrier.

“Sometimes stress is a positive thing, it’s going to make you more active and more tense, so you can play a good performance. So I tried to use it that way.”

There was a moment of mild controversy when Swiatek clinched the first set with a winner from a drop shot which replays showed was actually a double bounce.

But Swiatek blasted 30 winners to her opponent’s 16 and if she lifts the title on Saturday, she will equal Venus Williams’ record of 35 consecutive victories, the longest winning streak in women’s singles since 2000.

Two days after dropping her first set of the tournament, Swiatek got off to a fast start, stealing Pegula’s serve with a crosscourt forehand winner.

But unforced errors immediately crept into her game and she was immediately broken back and showed early signs of nerves.

The Pole, however, went up a break again to lead 4-3 before holding and setting up set points in the ninth game. Pegula did her a favour by sending a routine forehand wide on the second.

Another of those gave Swiatek a break for 3-1 in the second set and she kept her grip, only squandering three match points before wrapping it up on Pegula’s serve with a booming backhand winner down the line. 

Kasatkina, the 20th seed, has never managed the last four in any grand slam before and prevailed over Kudermetova in front of partly empty stands after a previous late night for the Rafael Nadal-Novak Djokovic match.

Kudermetova needed a medical timeout for an apparent foot problem while leading 6-5 in the second set. 

Kasatkina’s final winner was a superb drop-shot having let a surging lead initially slip in the tiebreak.

Kasatkina, 25, has yet to drop a set in Paris this year.

“You could see the match was really nervous…especially the tiebreak, the last few points were super tight,” she said in her on-court interview. 

“I’m happy in the end, it’s a very important win for me. I’m happy to be in the semis for the first time.”

The Russian pair will not be able to play in the next grand slam after Wimbledon banned Russians and Belarusians due to the war in Ukraine.