Aryna Sabalenka overpowers Iga Swiatek to reach French Open final

PARIS: World number one Aryna Sabalenka defeated four-time champion Iga Swiatek in a thrilling semi-final 7-6(1), 4-6, 6-0 to secure her place in the French Open final here at Court Philippe-Chatrier on Thursday.

Both players exchanged early breaks at the beginning, but Sabalenka managed to close the first set with the lead.

Swiatek edged out Sabalenka in the second set and evened the score by winning it 6-4.

The third set was one-sided, as Swiatek, on her comeback was unable to match Sabalenka's raw power, resulting in the Belarusian clinching the victory by a 6-0 routing.

The top seed will play either France's wildcard Lois Boisson or second seed American Coco Gauff in Saturday's showcase match.

Reflecting on the victory, Sabalenka shared that she felt incredible but emphasised that the job was not done.

She further lauded Swiatek's resilience, describing the Pole as her toughest opponent, especially on clay and at Roland Garros.

"Honestly, it feels incredible but I understand the job is not done yet. I'm just thrilled today with this win and the atmosphere," Sabalenka said.

"She's the toughest opponent, especially on clay, especially at Roland Garros. It was a tough match it was a tricky match but I managed."

Regarding her performance in the third set, the Belarusian said it felt good to get her serve back and termed it 'perfect'.

"It could not be more perfect than that," Sabalenka said.

"I'm super proud right now, I'm glad I found my serve (again in the third set)."