Iga Swiatek dethroned at French Open

Maria Sakkari defeated defending champion Iga Swiatek of Poland 6-4, 6-4 to reach a maiden Grand Slam semi-final at the French Open on Wednesday.

The world number 18 from Greece will face unseeded Barbora Krejcikova of the Czech Republic for a place in the final after seeing off Swiatek who had required a medical timeout early in the second set.

Swiatek had carved a break for 2-0 in the first set before the Greek quickly levelled, breaking again for a 5-4 lead.

Sakkari confidently pocketed the opener, ending the champion’s run of 22 straight sets won at the tournament.

When Swiatek slipped 0-2 down in the second set, the Pole left the court for a medical timeout, returning with her right thigh tightly strapped.

Swiatek had to battle to avoid going a double break down in the fifth game but eventually succumbed in the 10th.

Sakkari reaped the reward for her all-out attacking game with five aces and 26 winners

Krejcikova took a rollercoaster ride into a maiden Grand Slam semi-final.

The world number 33 knocked out American 17-year-old Coco Gauff 7-6 (8/6), 6-3 after saving five set points in the opener and then needing six match points to finish the job.

Gauff, the 24th seed and the youngest quarter-finalist at a major in 15 years, was undone by seven double faults and 41 unforced errors.

“I never really imagined I’d be standing here one day on this court, especially in singles, and being able to win,” said Krejcikova, who had been so paralysed by fear before her last 16 victory over Sloane Stephens that she locked herself in a stadium office and wept.

Krejcikova, now on a 10-match winning streak, is having a busy week. She is also in the semi-finals of the women’s doubles.

The other semi-final sees Russian 31st seed Anastasia Pavlyuchenkova tackle unseeded Tamara Zidansek of Slovenia on Thursday.

For only the second time in the Open era, there are four first-time Grand Slam semi-finalists in women’s singles, after the 1978 Australian Open.

Meanwhile, the latest easing of Covid-19 restrictions in France from Wednesday and a later curfew from 11pm means a rise in the number of spectators at Roland Garros.

The final evening session of the tournament will have spectators for the first time with 5,000 fans able to watch world number one Novak Djokovic taking on Italian nine seed Matteo Berrettini in the quarter-final. (AFP)