PARIS (AP) — Iga Swiatek’s bid for a record fourth consecutive French Open championship will need to go through No. 1-ranked Aryna Sabalenka after both delivered straight-set victories Tuesday to set up a showdown in the semifinals.
Swiatek defeated Elina Svitolina 6-1, 7-5 in the quarterfinals for a 26th consecutive win at Roland-Garros, where the longest unbeaten run by a woman is 29 matches by seven-time tournament champion Chris Evert.
Swiatek is trying for her fifth trophy overall on the red clay in Paris, where she has won four of the past five.
Sabalenka ousted 2024 Olympic gold medalist Zheng Qinwen 7-6 (3), 6-3 to reach the semifinals in Paris for the second time. All three of Sabalenka’s Grand Slam titles came on hard courts — two at the Australian Open and one at the U.S. Open.
Having been searching for her best form in recent months and after a tough three-setter in her previous match, Swiatek was in total control at the start against No. 13 seed Svitolina. Swiatek had to work harder in the second set, dropping her serve in the fourth game after hitting two straight unforced errors into the net.