World number one Aryna Sabalenka is through to her first ever French Open final after beating Iga Swiatek in a thrilling semi-final. She won 7-6 (7-1), 4-6, 6-0 to end Swiatek’s 26-match winning streak at Roland Garros.
Sabalenka will now face Coco Gauff in Saturday’s final. Gauff easily beat French wildcard Lois Boisson 6-1, 6-2 in the other semi-final.
Swiatek, a four-time French Open winner, had a slow start but came back strong to win the second set. However, Sabalenka was unstoppable in the final set, winning it in just 22 minutes.
After the match, Sabalenka said: “It feels amazing, but it’s not over yet. Iga is the toughest opponent here, so I’m proud of this win.”
Swiatek admitted: “I lost my intensity and couldn’t respond to her power in the last set.”
Meanwhile, Boisson’s dream run came to an end. The 22-year-old had surprised everyone by reaching the semi-finals after coming back from a serious knee injury last year. Despite strong home support, she couldn’t match Gauff’s level on the day.
Gauff broke Boisson’s serve six times and needed just over an hour to reach her second French Open final.
