Iga Witek, who defeated Coco Gauff 6-4, 6-2 to reach the Roland-Garros semifinals, is still on track to win the French Open.
In a rematch of the final from last year, Witek ultimately outclassed Gauff in quality, defeating the American with her unwavering power and consistency.
Witek has defeated Gauff in all seven WTA Tour matches they have played, with the teenager having yet to even win a set against the Polish world number one. 1.
Beatriz Haddad Maia, who defeated Ons Jabeur earlier on Wednesday to become the first Brazilian woman to reach a grand slam semifinal during the Open Era, will play next for Witek.
A modest Witek, who has reached the semifinals in four of the last six grand slams, told Tennis Channel, “After the match, I feel pretty satisfied with my game.”
“I’m happy that I was able to win in two sets, and in the first set, I was more solid in crucial moments. I’m glad I made it to the semifinal, though it wasn’t easy, especially with the wind today.
Witek, 22, was in commanding, unstoppable form against Gauff, particularly as she raced away in the second set, making her one of the sport’s most intimidating opponents on clay.
In the first set, Gauff kept up with her opponent as they traded early serve breaks. However, the pressure soon showed, as Witek broke to love to take the match lead and serve for the set at 4-5.
It turned out to be the beginning of Gauff’s demise, as he was powerless to halt Witek’s inevitable victory march.
There won’t be any more Witek fans in Paris now, if there were any who were still betting against Witek.
The three-time grand slam champion is the overwhelming favorite to win her third title at Roland-Garros and has won just 15 games on her way to the semifinals, including a 5-1 walkover victory over Lesia Tsurenko.
Opta claims that Witek is the first player since Conchita Martinez in 1995 to reach the French Open semifinals with fewer than 15 losses.
Global No. 2 Aryna Sabalenka, who will play Karolna Muchová in the semifinals on Thursday, undoubtedly possesses the tools necessary to defeat Witek; however, facing the Pole on clay, which is perhaps Sabalenka’s least favorite surface, presents a completely different challenge.
Witek has had a lot of downtime in Paris because many of her matches ended so quickly (she has four bagels so far this tournament).
So, when she’s not on the court, what does the defending champion do to relax and pass the time?
Witek jokingly stated, “Well, I finished watching Madam Secretary and I’m currently watching the second season of Ted Lasso, but it’s pretty short so I guess I’ll be done tomorrow.”
She might be able to finish a few more series before the tournament ends, it’s fair to say.
