Iga Świątek showcased her resilience on Monday, staging a remarkable comeback to defeat Elena Rybakina in the fourth round of the French Open. It’s only the second time Świątek has come from losing a set and a break down to win. She came back spectacularly to take the match 1-6, 6-3, 7-5. She has now accomplished her 25th straight main draw victory at Roland-Garros. This victory makes her unbeaten streak on the legendary clay courts continue.
That match turned into something of a mental test for Świątek. Dart was up to the challenge, saving a whopping ten break points over the course of the match. After thoroughly controlling the first set, Rybakina found herself up a break, having broken Świątek’s serve early in the second. Świątek’s determination shone through as she fought back to claim the second set and edged out Rybakina in a tightly contested final set.
“I think I needed that kind of win … That I’m able to win under pressure, and even if it’s not going the right way, still turn the match around to win it,” Świątek stated after her victory.
With this win, Świątek has extended her streak to 25 consecutive main draw wins at Roland-Garros. She is currently just four victories away from routing Chris Evert’s astounding achievement of 29 straight wins. The Polish player is now looking ahead to the next adventure. She’s going to play 13th seed Elina Svitolina in quarterfinals next! Svitolina earned her spot into the final four by beating last year’s runner-up, Jasmine Paolini.
In yet another tremendous third-round match up on Monday, Carlos Alcaraz fought through his own issues to make it through to the quarter finals. In the final eight, he took out American 13th seed Ben Shelton to reach the semis, 7-6, 6-3, 4-6, 6-4. It was a daunting task for Alcaraz, who saved three set points in the opening set to start things off. He even battled through six break points during the opening game of the second set.
While of course it’s preferable to have full control over the match from start to finish, you will not be able to do that against great players. I’m really glad that I fought and problem solved on court,” Alcaraz said after his gritty triumph.
This year’s French Open has seen intense competition as players battle not only their opponents but the challenging conditions presented by the tournament’s unique clay surface.
Leave a Reply