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Iga Swiatek to face Coco Gauff in French Open final

Iga Swiatek to face Coco Gauff in French Open final
© Reuters
Iga Swiatek and Coco Gauff set up a showdown in the women's final of the 2022 French Open after respective semi-final victories on Thursday.

Poland's Iga Swiatek and the USA's Coco Gauff set up a tantalising French Open final showdown in the women's singles event with respective semi-final triumphs on Thursday.

World number one Swiatek had steam-rolled her way to the final four, where Russia's Daria Kasatkina awaited her only to be blown out of the water by the ruthless Pole.

Swiatek marched to a comprehensive 6-2 6-1 win over the 20th seed to advance to her second Grand Slam final after defeating Sofia Kenin at Roland Garros two years ago.

Swiatek broke early doors for a 2-0 lead in the first set before another double fault allowed Kasatkina to earn a break back with a stunning forehand, and the Russian would hold to level the scores.

However, Swiatek soon began to find her flow and won four games on the bounce to take the first set with ease, and it was a similar story for the world number one in set two.

A double break saw Swiatek storm into a 5-1 lead before boasting three match points on serve, and she only needed one of them as she confirmed her spot in the final with an ace.

The 21-year-old has now won a remarkable 34 matches in a row, and she credited her choice of pre-match music for her triumph on Thursday afternoon.

"It's a pretty special moment and I'm really emotional. It's great to be in that place [the final], to be healthy and play my game, it's amazing and I love playing here," Swiatek said during her on-court interview.

Coco Gauff celebrates reaching the French Open final on June 2, 2022© Reuters

"It's easier to play matches with that kind of support and it still surprises me. When I started playing on the WTA, after my first year there was Covid and I wasn't able to see how many Polish people would come. It's overwhelming and still surprises me how much they are supporting me.

"I try to treat every match the same way and if I realise this is one of the most important matches of the season it stresses me out. I just listen to music [before the match], Led Zeppelin, it really pumps me up, and use everything to help me."

Meanwhile, Gauff found herself up against unseeded Italian player Martina Trevisan and also posted a straightforward two-set win to make the final - triumphing 6-3 6-1 on the clay.

The 18-year-old was unfazed during her first-ever semi-final appearance at a major event, but she was helped by a spate of errors from Trevisan to earn her first break in game three.

Trevisan broke straight back on two occasions after another Gauff break to level for 3-3, but the Italian - who racked up over 20 unforced errors in the first set - ceded the initiative to the teenager.

Victories in five successive games also saw Gauff need just one of three available match points to claim the win, as Trevisan returned long from the American's serve.

"I played her [Martina Trevisan] two years ago and lost so I know how difficult she is to play, especially on clay," Gauff said after her semi-final success.

"I think I'm in a bit of shock right now and I didn't know how to react at the end of the match. I have no words to describe how I feel, thank you for cheering me on."

The women's final will take place on Saturday afternoon, as Rafael Nadal, Alexander Zverev, Marin Cilic and Casper Ruud battle to make the men's final on Friday.

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Written by
Ben Knapton

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