Swiatek battles past Haddad Maia to advance to French Open final

Defending champion Iga Swiatek fought off a set point on Thursday as she muscled past Beatriz Haddad Maia to move into her second consecutive French Open final.

Iga Swiatek saved a set point on her way to a straight sets victory over Beatriz Haddad Maia from Brazil to reach the French Open final. © Pierre RENE-WORMS

The 22-year-old Pole was on the verge of playing a deciding set for the first time in the 2023 tournament but Haddad Maia crunched a forehand drive into the net to level the score at six points apiece during the second set tiebreak.

Though the 27-year-old Brazilian saved a match point, Swiatek notched up a second at 8-7 and secured the victory with a forehand into the corner.

Swiatek, who is attempting to become only the sixth woman to defend her title in Paris since the French Open allowed professionals to compete at the tournament, unleashed a primal scream to celebrate her progress.

"Beatriz has the perfect game for clay," said Swiatek during her on-court interview. "She can hit with lots of top spin and she can hit the ball flat. I'm glad I got through and I am happy I played solidly in the tiebreak."

Sweep

Swiatek collected the first set witrh her customary panache. After she exchanged breaks with the 14th seed at the outset of the encounter, Swiatek went on a four-game roll to take the opener 6-2 after 39 minutes.

The second was a chunkier affair. Haddad Maia broke Swiatek's for a 3-1 advantage before she was reeled in.

Swiatek faced a break point before holding to lead 4-3 and had to save three more - two of them consecutive - when nudging 5-4 into the lead.

Chance

Both held firm to take the set into a tiebreak.

In the shootout, Haddad Maia edged into a 5-3 lead and after a slick forehand approach shot into the right hand corner, she advanced to pounce on the reply but she netted the volley that would have given her three set points at 6-3. Instead, she found herself at 5-4.

As she later discovered, one set point was not enough.

Swiatek will take on the unseeded Czech Karolina Muchova in Saturday's women's singles final after the world number 43 saved a match point during a five-game roll to beat the second seed Aryna Sabalenka 7-6, 6-7, 7-5 after three hours and 13 minutes.

It will be the 26-year-old's first final at a Grand Slam tournament. Swiatek will be hunting a fourth singles title.