It’s no secret that Iga Swiatek has been calling her own songs for a long time.
We mean it in a metaphorical and rather literal way. In just her second question to the press on Thursday after a quick semi-final victory at Roland Garros, Swiatek was asked about her musical druthers before the match.
“Well, there are some bands I listen to before a game,” he said. “Led Zeppelin, AC / DC and Guns N ‘Roses were always the three who were really perfect for the situation.
Semifinal results: Swiatek beats Kasatkina in the second final of the French Open | Gauff reaches the first Grand Slam singles final at the French Open
“So I use music to have something that relaxes my brain before the game. But also when I want to have more energy, it helps me a lot.”
Whatever their rituals, they are unlikely to change it anytime soon. The top seed, Swiatek, has one of the longest winning streak in 22 years. His victory over Daria Kasatkina was his 34th in a row.
On Saturday, he will try to add up this total. Of course, the stakes will be even higher this time with a major title at stake and a fearless teenager on the other side of the net.
Coco Gauff facilitated her semi-final rival Martina Trevisan on Thursday, where she became the youngest player to reach the Paris final since Kim Clijsters in 2001.
The 5 most important youth finals since 2020:
US Open 2021: Raducanu – Fernandez 2022: Swiatek – Gauff
Wimbledon 2004: Sharapova – S. William
Wimbledon 2001: V.Williams – Henin
Australian Open 2008: Sharapova – Ivanovic pic.twitter.com/LHkCMFRziy
– WTA Insider (@WTA_insider) June 2, 2022
At 18, Gauff speaks (and writes) with the maturity of a compound veteran. After his quarterfinal match, Gauff passed in front of the track camera and wrote, “Dream big.”
Which brings us to the obvious question: Can Gauff finally end Swiatek’s dream of winning another Roland Garros title? Let’s take the case of the two players.
Advantage, Swiatek
Iga the inevitable. This has been the aura surrounding the 21-year-old Polish star who took over as number 1 vacant at Ashleigh Barty in April and has lifted the game ever since. Now, at the height of a sixth consecutive title and a second major title, Swiatek’s challenge is to lower its cap and stay on autopilot.
Swiatek are 8-1 in the final and have not lost a set in a league game in more than three years. She is unbeaten in her last eight finals and has only lost more than twice in four games during that period.
At 21, Swiatek brings the experience to Saturday’s final. She has been here before, on this same track, facing a young American fighter for the right to hoist the Coupe Suzanne Lenglen. Swiatek played its first major final in 2020 and defeated Sofia Kenin 6-4, 6-1.
Swiatek combines incredible athleticism and speed at the baseline with a powerful attacking game. Because Barty had his setback, Swiatek has his right. It is the shot that differentiates it and creates immediate confrontation problems.
“It’s really hard to find a lot of holes in your game, and even if you do, the fact that you have to do it every time is also very difficult,” said Jessica Pegula, whom Swiatek beat on the season. quarterfinals. “You’re not used to seeing maybe that kind of ball with the slice all the time or someone who served so well.”
Swiatek is 2-0 up against Gauff and has not lost a set. They first clashed on clay in Rome last year. Swiatek won 7-6 (3), 6-3, and this spring in Miami, they won 6-3, 6-1. In both cases, Swiatek won the title.
Gauff is one of the few players on the tour who can match the athletics and track coverage of Swiatek. And in Paris, he has published comparable numbers to Swiatek in the return department.
But Swiatek has the edge in their service games. He has won 85% of his service games compared to Gauff’s 71% and most importantly, Swiatek has only faced 18 break points in the entire tournament. Instead, Gauff has faced more pressure, looking down 48. And when the moments adjust, as would be understandable for the 18-year-old in her first grand final, double fouls can come. The American scored 33 in the tournament. Swiatek has hit five.
Since dropping his only set of the tournament, against Zheng Qinwen in the round of 16, Swiatek has lost more than two games in one set only once. He says he’s getting better with every game and he plays freer as he gets closer to the goal.
“It’s a nice feeling to have, because normally, sometimes it’s the opposite for other players when they go to higher rounds they’re more stressed,” Swiatek said. “I’m working hard at first to avoid it.” – Courtney Nguyen
Advantage, Gauff
I admit at first glance, Courtney, this is a silly assignment.
Iga Swiatek has won 34 games in a row and is looking to match the streak of Venus Williams of this century, 35, with a victory in the Roland Garros final on Saturday. In addition, this would be the second title of the Swiatek French Open and, depending on his age (he turned 21 on Tuesday), there will be many more important championships. And, that can’t be overstated, she plays an 18-year-old girl in her first Grand Slam final.
But as we’ve learned in recent years, Coco Gauff is no ordinary teenager. In some ways, her career at Roland Garros is reminiscent of Swiatek’s impressive career in the field two years ago as a 19-year-old without a top seed.
Swiatek’s advancement came in the fourth round when he knocked down No. 1 seed Simona Halep, former Paris champion, off the court in the fourth round, dropping all three games. This is the time of Gauff’s signing; Is it also a key moment for women’s tennis?
Gauff is that fearless, gifted teenager who looks at the establishment. She is physically stronger, mentally stronger than ever. It will certainly not reach these peaks for a few more years. Not only is his service and his background shots more powerful than even a year ago, his positioning on the court, his tactics have greatly improved.
It’s been four years since Gauff started talking about future champions at 14 years old. He won the junior title at Roland Garros, became the world’s No. 1 junior and crowned 2018 with a victory in the Orange Bowl 18s. singles: the youngest champion in 15 years. From the beginning, her parents, Corey and Candi, have done a fantastic job keeping her on the ground.
“Ever since I joined the tour, or even at the age of 8, the next Serena, the next, the next, and I think I really fell into the trap of believing it,” Gauff said after defeating Sloane Stephens in the quarterfinals. “It’s important that you have high hopes for yourself, but also, at the same time, it’s important to be in reality and I think that’s where I am.”
The convincing victory over Trevisan was the latest example of a positive pattern that has emerged in Gauff’s career. Two years ago, when they faced off in the second round at Roland Garros, Trevisan won in three sets. This time, with the final in play, it hasn’t been very close. It also happened against Stephens. Gauff lost a second-round match to his U.S. compatriot at last year’s U.S. Open in straight sets, then turned him around in Paris with a 7-5, 6-2 victory. .
There will be a lot of talk about Swiatek’s 2-0 lead over Gauff. The world number one won last year in Rome and again in Miami in March, but it has that historic learning curve.
“I think a lot of times when I play with someone two or three times, even in juniors, at least for the third time I would know,” Gauff said. “I feel like I know what’s going on on the court and I know why I lost the game, and I know what I have to work on next time.
“I remember every defeat very well. I mean, my grandfather always said to me, ‘Forget your victories; remember your losses. I remember each and every loss.’ – Greg Garber