Roland Garros: Kasatkina v Swiatek in the semifinals

The tennis player born in ’97, who beat Kudermetova 6-4 7-6, will meet the number 1 in the world who overtook Pegula

Daria Kasatkina, 25 years old on 7 May, is the first semi-finalist of the upper part of the Roland Garros draw. After eliminating our Camila Giorgi, the Russian won 6-4 7-6 over compatriot Veronika Kudermetova.

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the match

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A huge prize and a start in the name of nervousness and free mistakes. Only in the first four games there are 13 overall, the most serious for Kasatkina who loses her service in the fourth game, sending her rival ahead 3-1. Kudermetova, however, does not have the coldness to confirm the advantage, she suffers the counterbreak, then on 3 all she is forced to save two more break points before climbing 4-3. On 4 all Kasatkina breaks, she gets to serve for the set and at the second set point she closes the fraction 6-4 despite the balance of just 2 winning strokes and 12 free mistakes. Worst, and by far, that of Kudermetova, with 12 winners and 23 free.

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interminable game

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At the beginning of the second set, after a break exchange, the two play an interminable game of 16 points won by Kasatkina who exploits the break point number 5. Kasatkina keeps the advantage up to 4-2, then after missing 2 balls of 5-3, returns the advantage. On 4 equal another break and this time Kasatkina goes to serve for the match, but loses the serve at 15. On 6-5 Kudermetova asks for the intervention of the physio for a problem with the sole of the foot, but after the break Kasatkina he takes refuge at the tie-break, flies ahead 6-1, misses four consecutive match points but closes at the fifth chance with a short ball after an interminable exchange played by both with the little arm.

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important milestone

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For Kasatkina it is the first Grand Slam semi-final of their career after the quarterfinals they had reached in 2018 both at Roland Garros and Wimbledon. In the semifinal on Saturday Kasatkina will face the winner of the match between the world number 1 Iga Swiatek and the American Jessica Pegula. With this result, Kasatkina, which at most was number 10 in the world in October 2018, climbs at least 8 positions, passing from number 20 to number 12 in the world.

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Full speed ahead

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The last to reach the semifinals at Roland Garros is world number 1 Iga Swiatek who overtook the American Jessica Pegula by 6-3 6-2 in an hour and 29 minutes in a much more insidious and complicated match than she expresses. the score. First three interminable games, all decided on the advantages with an initial break exchange. The American remained anchored to the set until 3 all, then she lost the serve at 15 and gave way to the distance losing again two very tight and expensive games. In the second set the Polish, winner of this tournament in October 2020, stretched 3-1 after saving a delicate break point at 1-1 and closed 6-2, closing at the fourth match point. For Swiatek, who lost last February in Dubai to Jelena Ostapenko, it is the 33rd consecutive victory. A streak places the Pole in 18th place in the longest winning streak of the Open Era. In first place stands out undisturbed, and at a sidereal distance, Martina Navratilova who in 1984 won 74 games in a row. In the semifinal Iga Swiatek will face the Russian Daria Kasatkina, while in the lower part our Martina Trevisan will compete with the American Coco Gauff.

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