Irrepressible Swiatek too good for Gauff, breezes into fourth Roland-Garros final

Swiatek has also extended her lead in a head-to-head against Gauff that is proving increasingly grim reading for the American. Other than a sole victory in Cincinnati last year, Gauff has now lost eleven out of twelve matches against the four-time Grand Slam champion.

The pair’s twelfth encounter began as ominously as many of their previous eleven, with Swiatek breaking in the very first game against a nervous-looking Gauff.

There were flashes of the fight that Gauff is capable of taking to the world No 1 in the fourth game, as the American earned a couple of break point opportunities. But Swiatek, as she has done all tournament, held firm to hold before moving a double break up in the very next game en route to a 5-1 lead.

Gauff held serve to avoid the ignominy of a single-game opening-set defeat, before Swiatek duly held serve to seal a comfortable 38-minute first set.

Rather surprisingly, Gauff hit 12 winners to Swiatek’s two in that opening stanza, showing that the American’s tactic was to attempt to overpower the world No 1 with powerful, first-strike tennis. The problem for Gauff was the accuracy was simply not there. Those 12 winners were negated by 18 unforced errors, meaning Swiatek did not need to go for the lines to try to end rallies early.

gauff battles valianlty in second set, but to no avail against an untouchable opponent

But there was a twist in the tale towards the start of the second set. In the fourth game, an overruled erroneous line call went against Gauff, whose shot was deemed not to have been affected by the initial call. Gauff disagreed, remonstrating with the umpire for several minutes and unable to hold back tears as the emotion of the occasion temporarily got to her.

Yet Gauff was able to use that point of contention to galvanise her own game, brilliantly breaking Swiatek when a break had looked most unlikely.

Unfortunately, she could not consolidate, as the irrepressible Iga struck right back in the fifth game to restore parity. Swiatek then broke for the fourth time either side of a couple of holds as she transformed a 3-1 deficit into a 5-3 lead.

Gauff saved two match point in a lengthy game when serving to stay in the match, asking one final question of the Pole as she was forced to serve for the win.

But it was a question that most inside Court Philippe-Chatrier already knew the answer to.

Gauff put up a valiant fight in that final game, saving a third match point before spraying a wild forehand well out of the court as Swiatek get over the line at the fourth attempt.

The world No 1 was typically magnanimous in victory, praising Gauff’s progression and pointing to last season’s US Open triumph as evidence that the American is a player to be reckoned with.

“I think she’s progressing a lot,” Swiatek said in her on-court interview.

“You can see by her results. Last year’s US Open showed she’s tough. At this age it’s kind of obvious she’s going to just grow.

“It’s nice to see her handling everything well around her, because it’s not easy. I’m sure we’ll have plenty more intense matches at the highest level.

“Coco is one of the most consistent players out there.”

change of mindset puts swiatek on seemingly unstoppable course for a fourth roland-garros title

Swiatek then went on to explain how she shifted her game and mindset following her epic second-round clash against Naomi Osaka, during which she was a point away from going out of the tournament.

“For sure something changed,” she continued.

“I adjusted better to the court. It’s not easy to play the first matches on a grand slam because the atmosphere is much different than other tournaments.

“Against Naomi I didn’t have time to get into it. She was intense from the beginning and put pressure on me. I’m happy I handled it well. After that the weather changed, it helps my game I feel.

“I just gained confidence I would say.”

Putting the head-to-head record aside, there is much to feel positive about for Gauff. She has reached the semi-finals of each of the past three Grand Slam tournaments – winning the title in New York. Perspective is important here. Gauff has only been knocked out of those past three majors by Aryna Sabalenka, who went on to win in Australia, and now Swiatek, who has been crushing every opponent in her path bar Osaka.

Losing to the world No 1 on her undisputed best surface is far from a disaster. Besides, who knows, with Wimbledon around the corner, another meeting with the Pole on a surface far less suited to her topspin-heavy game might be just the tonic Gauff needs right now.

As for Swiatek, it is difficult to come up with new superlatives. The highest compliment one can pay at this time is that her form at Roland-Garros is not far off the level of dominance that a certain Rafael Nadal displayed here throughout his career.

In short, no one can touch her.

Swiatek will face either Mirra Andreeva or Jasmine Paolini in Saturday’s showpiece match. If it is to be anything other than a coronation procession, then one of these women is going to have to find the performance of their lives in the final.