Miraculously, Swiatek saves a match point but comes through against Osaka!

By Guillaume Nonque

le 29/05/2024 à 19h38

Osaka Roland Garros Swiatek

Iga Swiatek has just qualified for the 3rd round of the French Open after a crazy match. The world n°1 came from behind to beat Noami Osaka (7-6, 1-6, 7-5), who led 5-2 in the 3rd set, where she also had a match point.

Iga Swiatek certainly stands up to anything. Rarely pushed around, at least not on ochre, the Pole pulled through miraculously on Wednesday. Faced with a superb Osaka, the world number 1 managed to turn around a match that already seemed lost to qualify for the rest of the tournament (7-6, 1-6, 7-5 in 2h59).

For a long time, we thought the impossible would become possible. We thought that Iga Swiatek, the undisputed queen of the WTA Tour and two-time title-holder in Paris, would fall in the second round of this Roland-Garros 2024. However, the world number 1, despite being pushed to her very limits, came through in the end.

After a first act at a very high level, in which Swiatek had already had to work hard (7-6), she then seemed to lose her footing. Cornered by a Japanese player in a state of grace (54 winners, 38 unforced errors, and 6 more points won than her opponent), she could no longer really hurt her opponent, conceding 11 of the next 14 games. On the brink of a precipice, Swiatek even saved a match point before completely reversing this duel. Winning the last 5 games of the match, she responded to her opponent's aggression with even more insane aggression.

At the age of 22, the two-time title-holder showed an uncommon mental toughness, once again demonstrating her predisposition for the pinnacle of world tennis.

After this victory, she seems more than ever on course for a fourth title in Paris. Indeed, given her resilience, it seems unlikely that any other player will be able to stop her.

For her part, Osaka is completing her return to the very top of world tennis. Indeed, if she maintains this level of play, there can be no doubt that she will soon be back in the world's top 5 and a credible title contender wherever she goes.