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Tennis fans were left in awe of Iga Swiatek as she battled past Beatriz Haddad Maia to continue her title defense at the 2023 French Open.
Swiatek's sustained dominance at the clay court Major was on full display as she defeated Haddad Maia in straight sets, winning 6-2, 7-6(7). The Pole, who is yet to drop a set in the tournament, faced a close call when the Brazilian led 6-5 in the second-set tiebreak. However, Swiatek saved the set point before advancing to her third French Open final in four years.
The Pole holds a 2-0 win/loss record in finals at the clay court Major. She reached her first final in 2020 and claimed her maiden Grand Slam title by defeating Sofia Kenin in straight sets, winning 6-4, 6-1. She won her second title in 2022 after beating Coco Gauff 6-1, 6-3.
With Aryna Sabalenka losing to Karolina Muchova in the other semifinal, Swiatek is also set to retain her World No. 1 ranking regardless of the outcome of the final.
A fan shared their admiration for Iga Swiatek's high level of play and deemed her one of the most dominant players they had ever witnessed.
"Congrats to Iga, her level is simply beyond imagination. One of the most dominant players I've ever seen," the fan commented.
"Iga and RG, match made in heaven," a user posted.
Another fan expressed their appreciation for the Pole's decision to retire mid-match in her Italian Open semifinal against Elena Rybakina as it allowed her to be "physically strong" for her French Open campaign.
"Swiatek's decision to retire in Rome, even though she could have finished that match vs Rybakina if she "really" wanted to, now looks even better in hindsight. Didn't aggravate anything. She looks physically strong and whole. Prudence and short-term sacrifice, rewarded," the fan tweeted.
Here are a few more fan reactions to Iga Swiatek's win:
Iga Swiatek set to take on Karolina Muchova in French Open final
Iga Swiatek will be up against Karolina Muchova in the final on Saturday, June 10. The unseeded Muchova reached her maiden Grand Slam final after taking out second seed Aryna Sabalenka in three closely-contested sets. The World No. 43 saved a match point at 2-5 in the third set, before winning five games in a row to come through with a 7-6(5), 6-7(5), 7-5 win in three hours and 13 minutes.
Muchova currently leads 1-0 in her head-to-head against the World No. 1, having previously defeated the Pole 4-6, 6-1, 6-4 in the first round of the 2019 Prague Open.
Should Iga Swiatek defeat Muchova to win the 2023 French Open title, she will achieve a historic feat as the first woman since Justine Henin in 2006 and 2007, to successfully defend her title in Paris.
