Iga Swiatek v Coco Gauff: French Open women’s singles semi-final – live | French Open 2024

Swiatek Breakthrough: Swiatek* 4-1 Gauff

Despite the result, Gauff made Swiatek work hard here, certainly much harder than the world No. 1 had to do after that second-round escape against Osaka. The problem for Gauff is that in order to pressure the Pole, she tries to shoot but makes a few too many mistakes. Another foul shot and then a double fault. 15-40, two break points. Another backhand winner for all-important points for Gauff. 30-40. But the 13th unforced error and that’s the double-break.

Swiatek 3-1 Gauff*

Swiatek has lost just once on clay this season after winning back-to-back titles in Madrid and Rome before heading to French Open Championshipwhere she has won the title the past two years and is on a 19-match winning streak.

Swiatek serves to Gauff’s forehand on the first point here – a smart tactic to target this side – but Swiatek then decides to mix it up, serving to Gauff’s backhand, and Gauff drops it for a winner. Best forehand stick, Iga. After sliding the breakpoint down, at 30-40, Swiatek does just that, Gauff gets it back, but then makes a frustrating mistake. A couple. Advantage Swiatek. Deuce when Gauff’s power finally beat Swiatek’s ultimate reactions at the net! Advantage Swiatek. Deuce, after that Gauff hit just lands in! Gauff makes an ugly return that almost shoots out the stands it was so wild, and Svetek holds on.

Sviatek* 2-1 Gauf

That previous game encapsulates the problem Gauff is facing this afternoon: she works so hard to get into winning position, but Swiatek is such a great big-point player and makes so few mistakes. A strong serve at 15-0 gives Gauff a cheap point for 30-0. He needs a lot more of those this afternoon. 40-0 when Swiatek injects a rarely missed forehand. 40-15 when Swiatek goes into the forecourt and lays down the winner. Is there a better move than her in the women’s game? I do not think so. But Gauff is holding on to 15.

Swiatek 2-0 Gauff*

Naomi Osaka was on point to beat Sviatek in the second round, but the difference between that match and this one is that Gauff doesn’t hit the ball as hard as Osaka.

Gauff, however, has plenty of backhand shots and rolls one down the line for 15-all. A couple more penetrating backhands from Gauff on the next point, she works the point well into the net, but Svetek’s ball dips dangerously into the clay and Gauff can’t return it. 30-15. 40-15. Another backhand winner from Gauff, wow. 40-30. If only Gauff’s forehand was as good as her backhand, she would be unbeatable. Make that a third backhand winner. A couple. Advantage Gauff, Breakpoint. But an untimely first backhand error from Gauff and they’re back to deuce… and from there Swiatek survives.

Swiatek Break: Swiatek* 1-0 Gauff

Chris Evert says on Eurosport commentary that she thinks the key for Gauff today is her serve. She has twice as many double faults as aces this year, and given that Swiatek is the best returner in the tournament, if not the best, Gauff should have a high first serve percentage. Swiatek will continue to poke holes in Gauff’s serve if he is not aggressive enough.

To highlight this, Swiatek immediately sprinted to 0-30 on Gauff’s serve. Gauff recovers to 15-30 and then it’s game point, which Swiatek takes with a bruising backhand down the line. 15-40, two break points. And Gauff miscues his volley and Swiatek hits from the centre!

Connect with any thoughts: you can send an email katy.murrells.casual@theguardian.com

All 10 of Gauff’s losses to Swiatek have come in straight sets, including the 2022 Roland Garros final and last year’s quarterfinals. What’s difficult for the 20-year-old in this matchup is that for all her strengths – backhand, athleticism, mentality – she has a questionable forehand that Svetek can target with her own forehand, which is so powerful and top-spin heavy.

And here come the players with headphones, as always. Which is a shame because they probably don’t fully hear the raucous reception they’re getting from the crowd. But it’s good to see that the stands are almost full. Paris visitors have been a little late these two weeks, but they don’t want to be late for this one.

Gauff on the mental challenge of facing Swiatek:

I think you just get older and learn to handle the pressure a little more. I don’t have a mental coach or anything related to the sport, but it’s something that I knew I had to improve on and just be more positive … and realizing that I can’t beat myself and my opponent can’t beat me.

She is definitely a tough opponent for me and anyone else. I think for me I just have to go back and watch [previous matches] and try to find what I need to do.

I think she is playing great tennis here so it will be a challenge but I will go into the match very confident that I can.

Why Swiatek doesn’t take Gauff lightly despite beating her in 10 of their 11 meetings:

I think her mental game is a little bit better and it used to be kind of easier to “break” her I would say when you were leading.

But it’s normal to make progress. She’s at that age where everything is going pretty well, that if you work hard, you’ll make progress.

Probably every aspect of her game is a little bit better because, yeah, it’s different being a teenager on the tour and then being a more mature player.

One match has already been completed at Philippe Chatrier today, with Britain’s Neal Skupski and his American partner Desirae Krawczyk losing the mixed doubles final6-4, 7-5 to Laura Siegemund and Edouard Roger-Vasselin.

Elsewhere, another Brit, Alfie Hewitt, was knocked out in the men’s wheelchair singles semi-finals. The first seed was defeated 7-5, 6-7 (1), 6-2 by Argentine Gustavo Fernandez.

Another trip down memory lane:

Or you have almost enough time to watch this. YouTube doesn’t match the search “Henin 2007 final”, but here’s Seles beating Steffi Graf in the 1992 final:

Fancy some reading while we wait?

Order of play

Preamble