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Tuesday April 16, 2024

Iga Swiatek aims for third French Open final in four years, faces Haddad Maia in semis

Swiatek defeated Coco Gauff in a rematch of last year's final and is now hoping to become first woman to defend the title since 2007

By Web Desk
June 08, 2023
Iga Swiatek aims for third French Open final in four years, faces Haddad Maia in semis. Twitter/sports_tak
Iga Swiatek aims for third French Open final in four years, faces Haddad Maia in semis. Twitter/sports_tak

In the French Open tennis tournament, Iga Swiatek, a two-time champion, is aiming to reach her third final in four years. 

She defeated Coco Gauff in a rematch of last year's final and is now hoping to become the first woman to successfully defend the title since 2007. Swiatek has yet to drop a set in the tournament and is facing Beatriz Haddad Maia in the semi-finals. Haddad Maia is the first Brazilian woman to reach a Grand Slam semi-final since 1968.

Aryna Sabalenka, the second seed from Belarus, is also in the semi-finals and is putting her 12-match Grand Slam winning streak on the line. She has been in the spotlight due to tensions between her country and Ukraine but has stated that she does not support her country's involvement in the conflict. 

Sabalenka will become the new world number one if she wins the French Open. She will face Karolina Muchova of the Czech Republic in the semi-finals.

On the men's side, Alexander Zverev has made a comeback to the semi-finals after a difficult year. He suffered an ankle injury in last year's tournament and had surgery. 

Zverev overcame his challenges and defeated Tomas Martin Etcheverry to secure his place in the semi-finals. He will face Casper Ruud, the runner-up from last year, in the next round.

Novak Djokovic, the defending champion, will meet Carlos Alcaraz in the other men's semi-final. Alcaraz is the top seed in the tournament.