Swiatek ends Haddad Maia’s dream run to make third final in Paris

PARIS: Defending champion Iga Swiatek booked her place in the Roland-Garros final for the third time in four years after she ended the dream run of 14th seed Beatriz Haddad Maia, beating the Brazilian 6-2, 7-6(7).

Just as she did in 2020, when she won her first Grand Slam title as the unseeded World No.54, Swiatek hasn't dropped a set en route to the final, where she will face the unseeded Czech player Karolina Muchova, who edged out No.2 seed Aryna Sabalenka in a three-set thriller earlier on Thursday.

The win also ensured Swiatek will retain the No.1 ranking after Roland Garros concludes, whatever the result against Muchova.

"I'm just pretty happy to be in the final again. It was a tough match, and especially the second set, every point counted. It was stressful in some moments, so I'm happy that I was really solid and I was able to close it in the tiebreaker," Swiatek said after the win as quoted by WTA.

The Pole had to come from a breakdown in each set and saved a set point in the second-set tiebreak and eight games marked the most she lost in her six matches so far this fortnight.

After turning around an 0-1 head-to-head against Haddad Maia, Swiatek will seek to do it against Muchova in Saturday's final. The Czech won their only prior meeting four years ago in Prague when Swiatek was a 17-year-old ranked No.95 in the world.

Speaking on her how she will prepare for the final, the 22-year-old Pole said: "There is no sense to change anything. If you're in a final it means your routine is working. Our goal is to play this match as any other one. I always tried to do that and it usually works."