French Open Showdown: Aryna Sabalenka Shakes Up the Tournament by Toppling Iga Swiatek, Sets Sights on Trophy Against Coco Gauff!

PARIS (AP) — Aryna Sabalenka stepped onto the clay at Roland Garros, her shoes splattered with rust-colored dirt as she faced off against Iga Swiatek. The sound of her powerful shots echoed through the closed roof of the stadium. Many saw her as a hard-court specialist, but she proved her skills on clay by defeating Swiatek, ending her 26-match unbeaten streak at the French Open. The match concluded with a score of 7-6 (1), 4-6, 6-0.

Now, Sabalenka gets ready for a big moment: her first chance to win a Grand Slam title on clay against No. 2 Coco Gauff. This final marks a significant event, being the first match between the top two women in Paris since 2013.

“This victory means everything,” Sabalenka remarked. “I’ve often been told that clay isn’t my surface. But with hard work, I now feel confident here.”

Coco Gauff, just 21 years old, is also making waves. She reached the finals in 2022 and found her way back by defeating No. 361 Loïs Boisson in a quick semifinal match, 6-1, 6-2. Gauff acknowledged the nerves she felt in her first final. “This time, I’m more confident since I’ve experienced it before,” she said. She has faced Sabalenka before, winning a title against her at the 2023 U.S. Open, bringing their head-to-head record to 5-5.

Boisson, despite her loss, made headlines by defeating higher-ranked players to reach the semifinals. The crowd cheered for her enthusiastically, but Gauff’s solid performance kept her on top throughout the match.

Sabalenka’s win over Swiatek was notable, especially in the decisive third set where she dominated. Swiatek commented on her performance: “I lost my intensity a bit. I couldn’t push back.” Highlighting a key statistic, Swiatek had 12 unforced errors in that final set, while Sabalenka had none.

Swiatek, the previous champion, is currently facing challenges. She hasn’t reached a final since winning her third straight title in Paris last year and has recently dropped to No. 5 in the rankings. This year has been rocky for her, including a suspension due to a positive test for a banned substance, which she attributed to contaminated medicine.

Throughout the match, Sabalenka showed resilience and confidence. “It felt like a final,” she said, aware that her journey is not done yet. With her eye on the title, she’s ready to face the challenge ahead.

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