Defending ladies’s singles French Open champion Iga Swiatek was knocked out of the match after a 4-6, 4-6 loss to seventeenth seed Maria Sakkari of Greece in the quarter-finals. This is Sakkari’s first Grand Slam semi-final and it has come off a win towards the favorite. Swiatek was not solely the defending champion however was anticipated to win the match being the one Top 10 seed left in the draw. Sakkari performed a really strong recreation all through the match and didn’t get slowed down by the event in any respect.
Sakkari’s semi-final might be towards Barbora Krejcikova, who earlier defeated 17-year-old Coco Gauff 7-6(6), 6-3.
After the win, Sakkari thanked her workforce and stated that forward of the sport, she solely informed herself to benefit from the match and never concentrate on the event.
“I’m speechless. It is a dream coming true. I don’t know, it’s a really good feeling, I couldn’t have carried out it with my workforce and their assist. We made it large positively.
“I’m not going to let you know the sport plan, I received’t inform my little secret. But I loved myself at this time and I informed myself ‘it is a very important match but just enjoy it’ and I needed to get pleasure from myself,” she said in the on-court interview.
For only the second time in the Open era, there are four first-time Grand Slam semi-finalists in women’s singles, after the 1978 Australian Open.
Furthermore, for just the fifth time in Roland Garros history, a player seeded outside the top 10 will lift the Coupe Suzanne Lenglen on Saturday.
Sakkari is the second Greek in the semi-finals of the singles at this year’s French Open after Stefanos Tsitsipas made the men’s last four on Tuesday.
Swiatek had carved a break for 2-0 in the first set before the Greek quickly levelled, breaking again for a 5-4 lead.
Sakkari confidently pocketed the opener, ending the champion’s run of 22 straight sets won at the tournament.
When Swiatek slipped 0-2 down in the second set, the Pole left the court for a medical timeout, returning with her right thigh tightly strapped.
Swiatek had to battle to avoid going a double break down in the fifth game but eventually succumbed in the 10th.
Sakkari reaped the reward for her all-out attacking game with five aces and 26 winners.
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