Iga Swiatek going for doubles success at Roland Garros after losing in singles

A couple of the most recent Roland Garros singles stars have made it into the finale of this fortnight's women's doubles event, where they will factor into an eye-catching clash for the championship.


Barbora Krejcikova, who made it into this year's Roland Garros singles final on Thursday, will now contest both finals this weekend. Krejcikova paired with her long-time partner Katerina Siniakova to dispatch Magda Linette and Bernarda Pera, 6-1, 6-2, in Friday's semifinals.

Krejcikova now has the chance to become the first player to sweep the singles and women's doubles titles at Roland Garros since Mary Pierce pulled off the feat in 2000. Serena Williams is the most recent player to sweep those two events at any Grand Slam tournament, at 2016 Wimbledon.

In the final, the Czech duo will face Bethanie Mattek-Sands and Iga Swiatek, who ousted Irina-Camelia Begu and Nadia Podoroska, 6-3, 6-4. Swiatek won the Roland Garros singles title last year and was a singles quarterfinalist this year in her title defense.

No.2 seeds Krejcikova and Siniakova have now reached both Grand Slam women's doubles finals this season. They finished as runners-up to Elise Mertens and Aryna Sabalenka at this year's Australian Open.

Krejcikova and Siniakova, both former WTA Doubles World No.1s, are seeking their second Roland Garros women's doubles title, having won the event for their first Grand Slam title in 2018. They followed up with the title at 2018 Wimbledon one month later.

No.14 seeds Mattek-Sands and Swiatek, playing just their third event together, have already built up a solid 9-2 win-loss record during their nascent partnership.

Swiatek now has a chance to follow up her 2020 Roland Garros singles title with her first Grand Slam women's doubles title the very next year. In fact, a victory on Sunday would be Swiatek's first doubles title on the tour.

The 20-year-old Pole has a partner whose history in major finals is sterling -- Mattek-Sands is an undefeated 5-0 in Grand Slam women's doubles finals, including French Open titles alongside Lucie Safarova in 2015 and 2017.

A Mattek-Sands volley winner on break point at 4-3 gave her tandem a pivotal lead in the opening set, and despite dazzling defense and aggressive returning by Begu and Podoroska in the next game, Swiatek was able to serve out the set and put her team in the driver’s seat.

Begu of Romania and Podoroska of Argentina were able to fend off multiple break points at 1-1 and 2-2, as the unseeded pair stuck with Mattek-Sands and Swiatek for the opening half of the second set.

However, at 3-3, they were less successful, as Podoroska fell behind 0-40 on her service, then watched a Swiatek forehand passing shot zip past her pairing for the break.

That break proved to be decisive, as Mattek-Sands and Swiatek would charge to victory. At 5-4, Swiatek did have to face a break point on her service, but Begu fired her return long to cede that opportunity, and the American-Polish pairing claimed the win two points later, after an hour and 34 minutes of play.

    wtatennis.com

If Krejicikova wins the singles title on Saturday, there will be a battle of brand new Roland Garros champion vs last year's champion in the women's doubles final on Sunday. 

What a story that would make!. Glad Iga's injury wasn't anything serious, and that she's still around in Paris. 

Winning a first doubles title would be a fantastic way to cap off another year on the clay for Iga.

How fantastic would it be if Bethanie and Iga pull it off?. Good luck on Sunday ladies!! ♥

Roland Garros Defending Champion Iga Swiatek falls short in the quarterfinals

Iga Swiatek's Twitter

Iga Swiatek's title defense at Roland Garros ended on Wednesday with a 6-4, 6-4 loss to No.18 Maria Sakkari in the quarterfinals. The loss snapped Swiatek's stunning streak of 22 consecutive sets won at the French Open.

"Well, obviously I didn't play my best tennis, that's for sure," Swiatek told reporters after the loss. "But Maria did a good job with playing at my forehand, which wasn't working pretty well today. It's good for her that she saw that. She picked a good tactic, for sure.

"All credit to her because she also made me actually feel bad. That's what players do to each other. She did that better today."

Swiatek also said the past few weeks finally hit her Tuesday. She said she struggled to get even a few hours of sleep the night before her quarterfinal match.

"This year I had more pressure on me, but also I did good because I think quarterfinal is a good job," Swiatek said. "I'm showing consistency. Obviously I know I can play better than today. Everybody has seen that. I know I can play heavier balls and everything. But days like that happen. I didn't have day like that last year. Basically that's why I won.

"But the most important thing right now is to take lessons of it, not let it happen next time."

While Wimbledon is less than three weeks away, Swiatek said her next big goal is to peak for the Tokyo Olympics, which will be played on hardcourts at the end of July.

"[The Olympics] is my next goal because I don't know how I'm going to play on grass.

"I don't know if I even remember how to play on grass, so we're going to see how that's going to go. I'm not putting, like, any expectations or any pressure on me because really I just want to learn how to play on it. Probably I'm going to say that for few more years."

Swiatek was a junior champion at Wimbledon in 2018, but she'll be playing the main draw for just the second time in her career. Despite her junior success, Swiatek is keeping her expectations low for the next few weeks.

"When I was playing that year [I won juniors], I was so angry that I didn't win junior French Open that I kind of took it [out] on Wimbledon," Swiatek said. "I think physically I was better than my opponents, than any junior player there. My motivation to win any Grand Slam, my anger at French Open, it really gave me a lot. Also the conditions were special this year because it was really hot. The ball was bouncing basically like on clay.

"Still in 2019 I didn't have a good run on any of the tournaments on grass. Basically that's why I just feel like I'm not consistent there. I'm not even consistent in, like, 10% really. I think it's going to do me good to not have any expectations and just play."

Regardless of the quick turnaround between Roland Garros and the grass season, Swiatek's first priority is to check out of tennis for as long as she needs to refresh both the mind and body. Swiatek took a medical timeout to tape her upper right leg early in the second set against Sakkari, but assured reporters that it wasn't as serious as she thought it might be on court.

Swiatek is still in the doubles tournament with Bethanie Mattek-Sands. The duo will face Irina-Camelia Begu and Nadia Podoroska for a spot in the final. Swiatek dismissed any concerns that her decision to play both singles and doubles impacted her tournament. Her 2020 title run was paired with a run to the doubles semifinals as well.

"I can change so many things that really it's hard to say what was the problem," Swiatek said. "I don't think it was doubles. As I said from the beginning, it actually helped me."

As Swiatek hits the midpoint of her first full season on the pro tour - an astounding fact given she has already pocketed titles at the Grand Slam, WTA 1000 and WTA 500 levels - it is impossible to see the 20-year-old's 2021 season as anything less than a success so far.

Coming off her 2020 breakthrough, Swiatek has won 23 of 29 matches this year and is one of only four players with multiple titles. She has lost before the Round of 16 at any tournament just once. Playing under newfound pressure at the Slams, she made the second week in Melbourne and Paris.

"I had a pretty intense season," Swiatek said. "I played many of the tournaments, more than in my previous seasons. I'm happy with the results that I have, but also I'm constantly at work.

"For sure we're going to try to chill out a little bit, cool down, also find some perspective. Basically when I close my eyes, I only see tennis court and balls, so it's pretty tiring. For sure that fresh start after grass is going to give me a lot."
    

    
wtatennis.com

Today was not Iga's day I did say in my last post I was a bit worried that playing singles and doubles on back to back days might prove to be a bit much. And I think in the end it was a little. 

As she herself mentioned she wasn't able to get proper sleep. And although she played doubles last year and said it helped her I think the added pressure of doing that and being the defending champion finally got to be too much (for the body especially). 

I hope her thigh injury isn't to serious. I guess we'll know for sure if she decides to pull out of the doubles.

That's not to take away from her achievements because reaching the quarters the way she did (without losing a set) was still a fantastic effort, so she can only take away positives from it all really. 

So far she's having a great season having already won 2 titles. The 3rd title being a Grand Slam last year. Not a lot of 20 year-olds can say that. 

There's no doubt in my mind this young woman will be a contender for many big titles in the years to come.

Good luck in the doubles Iga!. Congratulations on another outstanding showing at Roland Garros.  It may not have been the result you wanted but, keep your head high.  See you on the grass. 

Selfishly I was hoping Iga would finally be the first woman to successfully defend her Grand Slam title (which I think hasn't happened since Justine Henin in 2007?),  or Serena don't remember what year. 

But alas the WTA continues to be a revolving door of brand new Grand Slam champions (for the 6th year in a row)

All of whom are first time semi-finalists as well. Hard to say who will win out of the four ladies left. 

I want to say Krajicekova or Sakkari (rooting for Sakkari a little actually). But it could very well be Tamara Zidansek the way this tournament has gone. 

Wouldn't it be something to see a Greek on the men's side with Tsitsipas and compatriot Sakkari on the other?.  But more likely we'll get 1 out of 2. 

Defending Champion Iga Swiatek marches into Roland Garros quarters with hard fought victory

Seriously though how cool is this? ♥

Roland Garros Twitter

Aussie Open Twitter

Facing unfamiliar territory in more ways than one on Monday night at Roland Garros, Iga Swiatek passed the test posed by both the conditions and her Ukrainian foe Marta Kostyuk with flying colors.


Playing her first scheduled night session match on Court Philippe-Chatrier against an opponent 13 months younger than her, the defending champion and No.8 seed sealed the eighth and final berth in the quarterfinals with a hard-fought 6-3, 6-4 victory.

Not often the elder of the two when she takes the court, the 20-year-old had her hands full with an 18-year-old Kostyuk, who was playing in the fourth round of a Grand Slam for the first time.

A break down early in the first set and pushed all the way in the second, Swiatek needed to summon all her experience on the main stage in Paris to secure a 92-minute win.

"Playing the night session... is always hard, because you have to change the whole rhythm of the day, change the routines," Swiatek said after the match.

"So still, even though I played many night sessions right now, I sometimes struggle at the beginning to find the rhythm and to see the ball properly with the lights, not with the sun.

"You just have to adjust to that, because we both have the same conditions. It's going better and better every match, but still, I need some more experience.

"I like [being tested] because it keeps me constantly on my toes. It just keeps you focused all the time, because you don't have that flow, so... you have to work all the time.

"With that flow, you sometimes can seem surprised that, 'Hey, something is not good,' and then you're going to panic. But right now I'm getting tested, as you said. Still I'm moving forward, so that's even better for me."

Six of the nine games played in the first set stretched past deuce, including a six-deuce fourth game where Swiatek earned the break back after dropping her own serve at 1-1.

The pair later swapped service games at the same stage of the second set before Swiatek earned a second at 3-3, the break that eventually decided the match. She denied Kostyuk a chance to pull level at 4-4, and though the Ukrainian saved a match point in the eighth game to force Swiatek to serve for the match, the No.8 seed would ultimately not be denied on her second chance.

"It was really intense. It was just one of the points when I couldn't finish her and she was fighting till the end," Swiatek said of her thoughts on match point.

"I'm pretty happy that my lob was in, because I couldn't actually see. But it was risky, so I felt like kind of shaky, but I'm really happy that I made it in [an] important point. I was pretty solid so I'm happy about that."

The win gives Swiatek a pair of 10-match winning streaks, both overall this season and at Roland-Garros as her sets-won streak in Paris extends to 22. She's also one of four quarterfinalists to still be alive in the singles and doubles fields, joining Barbora Krejcikova, Elena Rybakina and Anastasia Pavlyuchenkova.

Up next for Swiatek is a first-ever meeting against No.17 seed Maria Sakkari, who ousted last year's runner-up, No.4 seed Sofia Kenin, 

in straights earlier in the day.

"I haven't played her, so it's hard to say. I played many practices with her, and she's really cool girl. Our teams, we like each other," Swiatek said.

"It's never easy to play with one of the nicest girls on tour. Tactically, I'm going to for sure be prepared. Right now I'm not thinking about it, because still I have tomorrow doubles. So I just want to focus on getting my body back to being fresh.

"Hopefully, it's going to be good. She's the kind of player who likes to play defense as well, as my opponent today. I'm just going to be ready. I'm going to be patient and hopefully it's going to get results."

wtatennis.com

Boy, this match was intense!, both players had to generate their own energy, and the ralies they produced made you wish they had played during the day instead. 

The crowd would have gone wild with what both of them showcased in two very tight sets. I found myself gripping my pillow I was so nervous. 

Wow can Iga deliver under pressure though, it's honestly astounding. The focus and intensity she has. 

It makes for fantastic viewing because you know that even when she's down, she'll try her damnest to figure out a way to win. 

She really showed a champions fighting spirit tonight, when her back was the most against the wall than it 's been all tournament. I just hope that her playing doubles on her day off doesn't backfire energy wise. 

Then again she did that last year as well, and won the whole thing so I guess it's good to be 20. Well done Iga!. Another fantastic performance. 

Sakkari might be Iga's biggest challenge yet especially since she's one of the fittest players on tour but I have faith and I am really looking forward to what is sure to be another popcorn worthy match.  Jazda! ♥

Roger Federer withdraws from Roland Garros to protect his body before Wimbledon

Roger Federer withdrew from Roland Garros ahead of his fourth-round match against Matteo Berrettini, the tournament announced on Sunday.

"After discussions with my team, I’ve decided I will need to pull out of Roland Garros today,” Federer wrote on Twitter. “After two knee surgeries and over a year of rehabilitation, it’s important that I listen to my body and make sure I don’t push myself too quickly on my road to recovery. I am thrilled to have gotten three matches under my belt. There is no greater feeling than being back on court.”

The 2009 champion battled through a tough four-setter against Dominik Koepfer in the third round, which ended in the early hours of Sunday morning.

"The Roland Garros tournament is sorry about the withdrawal of Roger Federer, who put up an incredible fight last night,” Tournament Director Guy Forget said. “We were all delighted to see Roger back in Paris, where he played three high-level matches. We wish him all the best for the rest of the season.”

Berrettini advances to his second Grand Slam quarter-final. The Italian will next play World No. 1 Novak Djokovic or #NextGenATP Italian Lorenzo Musetti.

Federer is next scheduled to compete at the NOVENTI Open, beginning 14 June. The Swiss has won the grass-court ATP 500 tournament in Halle, Germany, 10 times. He will also compete at The Championships, where he will seek a ninth Wimbledon title.

atptour.com


An unsurprising and wise though very controversial decision, for which he's receiving a lot of scrutiny.

But Roger has made it no secret it's all about Wimbledon for him. He got what he wanted out of the French and that's match toughness and preparation for the grass.

Roland Garros will always belong to Rafa and if he wins it again he'll surpass Roger for all time Grand Slams. Wimbledon is Roger's only shot at keeping that record even.

Had he decided to play he could have possibly hurt one of his knees again (by pushing himself too quickly) and setting him back for another god knows how long.

I would much rather he take a few days off and train for the grass, where everyone knows he actually has a shot at winning.

A lot of people have voiced their opinion on the matter and think he should have toughed it out, or withdrew during the grueling match.

But than we wouldn't have gotten those incredible memories he created by winning. Also Roger has never withdrawn during a match in his whole career, so he wasn't about to start now.

Deciding to play could have also impacted the rest of his season and his longevity in general, and that would be a real shame, because him being around still competing for the biggest titles is good for the sport.

So while I'm very sad about him no longer being in the draw, at the same time I'm really looking forward to watching his artistry on the grass.

It's been far too long since we've last witnessed it. Rest up champ, and see you on the grass.

Roger Federer plays 4 grueling sets to reach Roland Garros 4th round

Swiss survives a stern test from Dominik Koepfer to reach the Roland-Garros fourth round

Roger Federer muttered to himself, shot weary glances at his box, struggled with his serve and even forgot the scoreline.

Federer’s first night session at Roland-Garros against German lefty Dominik Koepfer did not go as planned.

But even at the age of 39, and playing in only his sixth match this season after a long lay-off because of injury, the Swiss had the heart to get the job done.

“J’adore le tennis,” Federer said, after winning a gruelling 7-6(5), 6-7(3), 7-6(4), 7-5 battle at 12:43am on Sunday morning in an empty main Court Philippe-Chatrier.

“My fighting spirit got me over the line,” said the 2009 winner, who missed most of last year after undergoing two knee surgeries. “You’ve got to love what you do, and I do.”

Unlike his previous two matches, which were played in the daytime in warm weather, the conditions for Federer’s third round were completely different.

Federer, one of the most popular players to have ever grace the Parisian clay, walked onto the main stadium court in almost complete silence. The night sessions in Paris are played behind closed doors because of a 9pm curfew due to the coronavirus.

“It benefits the players like myself or other players that are very focused when they go practice nowadays,” said Federer, when asked what it was like to play with no fans.

“I probably would have struggled a great deal when I was a teenager or a young player, because for me, practice was not really what I loved doing at all. I actually really disliked it, and for me it was all about the matches and atmosphere and playing for something.”

Federer began well, as he served smartly. But his 59th-ranked German opponent immediately showed he was not going to be a pushover, hitting heavy groundstrokes on both wings to keep the Swiss back.

After taking the first set on the tiebreak, Federer broke in the opening game of the second set but surrendered the break soon after. The pair then swapped breaks again, with the No.8 seed trying to outhit the left-handed Koepfer, who was causing damage with his backhand.

As Federer lost rhythm on serve, Koepfer took the second set on the tiebreak and when he broke in the opening game of the third, the 2009 champion looked in trouble.

“I wasn't sure after the second set how much was left in the tank, so it was a good battle until then,” Federer said. “I feel like I needed to maybe pace myself ever so slightly at that moment, especially emotionally, of not pressing too hard and wanting it too badly.”

But after battling hard to win his service games, Federer broke back for 4-4 as Koepfer faltered and then, serving better again and using the drop shot superbly, he snatched the third-set tiebreak to move ahead as the clock struck midnight in Paris.

In the fourth set, Federer broke early but was pegged back and had to keep strong on serve to stay in it, only to then lift his game again, breaking for 6-5 and serving out the clash for a well-earned victory. The 39-year-old has now reached the fourth round in Paris on his last 13 consecutive trips to Roland-Garros. He faces Italy’s Matteo Berrettini in the fourth round.

Federer said his win over Koepfer was “very important” for him.

“I clearly hadn't practiced three hours 35, because that's obviously always pushing it. I pushed as much as I could, as we thought reasonable. But this today was a huge step forward for the team, and for all of us. I didn't expect to be able to win three matches here,” he added.

The 27-year-old Koepfer hailed the 20-time major champion, and marvelled at his abilities after spending more than two decades on tour.

“Roger is Roger,” Koepfer told German press after the match. “Unbelievable what he does at the age of 39. He plays very good tennis and is incredibly fit. He played better in the deciding moments.”

Although Federer was tired, he still managed to crack a joke as he left the court.

“Thank you for not falling asleep everybody, I appreciate it,” he joked, with a huge grin on his face.

RolandGarros.com

I have witnessed a lot of Roger Federer matches over the years, and at this point I really thought I had seen it all when it comes to the great Swiss. Turns out I was wrong. 

What he showed in this match was otherworldly. 

Playing in front of no crowd late into the early hours of the morning for a total of 3:36 minutes Roger Federer showed his incredible seemingly never ending fighting spirit; or maybe as the title of this Roland Garros article so aptly put it: his incredible love for the game of tennis.

The man is 2 months shy of his 40th Birthday. And yet after over a year and a half away from the game he still produced what might just be one of the best matches of his career on clay no less.

Looking dead on his feet in the 3rd set he showed grit that reminded us all why he's a 20 time Grand Slam Champion and somehow got himself over the finish line in a lifeless stadium.

If that's not inspirational I don't know what is. Take note young guns, that's how you give it your all.

This marked his 365th Grand Slam match win & 73rd at Roland Garros. Good luck trying to tie that record Novak Djokovic.

Roger's phenomenal effort was made all the more bittersweet by his withdraw from the tournament less than 12 hours later. But more on that in another post.

Defending Champion Iga Swiatek marches into 2nd week at Roland Garros

Defending champion has now won her last 20 consecutive sets at Roland-Garros as she blasts into the fourth round

Iga Swiatek has been playing like a rock star at this year’s Roland-Garros – and listening to others at the same time.

The 20-year-old Pole, whose march to the title last year was accompanied by the sounds of Guns N' Roses (Welcome to the Jungle was on repeat) in her ears, says she’s switched bands as she psyches herself up for matches.

“I have the same playlist as in Rome, so it's Led Zeppelin right now,” she said. “Last year it was Guns N' Roses, right now it's Led Zeppelin; so similar kind of music but different band.

“Off court I started to listen to some Polish music, and that's new for me because actually I haven't listened to Polish music ever. It's really cool. I would recommend it. But probably from this group, only two people would understand it.”

Swiatek booked her place in the last 16 at Roland-Garros with a 7-6(4), 6-0 victory over Anett Kontaveit and now plays Marta Kostyuk of Ukraine for a spot in the last eight.

Unlike many people who are influenced by their parents’ musical tastes, Swiatek said she had found Led Zeppelin herself, albeit with the help of a film
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“I just started listening to rock, and I was like browsing, and I liked them,” she said.

“I think I started listening to them more when I watched 'Thor'. Yeah, I listened to them even a few years ago, and I watched 'Thor: Ragnorok' in Australia."

Kontaveit had beaten Swiatek in both their previous meetings and broke in the first game.

The Estonian held the lead to 4-3 but Swiatek didn’t panic, broke back and then won the tiebreak before relaxing in the second set and storming away to her 10th straight-sets victory in Paris in a row.

Swiatek said it was good to have a battle, preparation for the tough assignments likely to come next week.

“For sure, when you're winning too easily sometimes you have thoughts that, 'hey, if I'm leading 3-0 I'm going to win this set easily', and you kind of take everything for granted,” she said. “It’s natural.

“I'm trying not to do that when I'm leading. And also, it's good to have matches like that because it keeps you down-to-earth and you have to just be careful on every point and on every game.

“I'm just happy that I'm able to play really solid deciding balls and really solid in really important moments. That's the most important thing for me.”

Swiatek said she was looking forward to having her sports psychologist, Daria Abramowicz, onsite with the rest of the team in the second week and isn’t worried that any change in routine will upset her rhythm.

“I’m trying to keep my routines the same way because that's why they're routines basically,” she said, with a smile.

“But Daria, she's been with me on many tournaments, most of them actually, so it's just easier to keep them. You don't have to worry about many things because she's the brain in our team.

“I guess it changes the chemistry in the team sometimes because we have two boys and two girls, but I like it both ways, so it doesn't really matter.”

rolandgarros.com

The first real test for Iga passed with flying colours. 

Her next match could be another tricky one, playing someone younger than her who she's never played and has nothing to lose. 

Could be a cracking match. 

I know I keep saying this but Swiatek's composure at this Grand Slam astounds me. 

Iga Swiatek takes care of business moves into 3rd round at Roland Garros

Defending champion Iga Swiatek swept into the third round of the French Open on Thursday, dispatching Rebecca Peterson of Sweden, 6-1, 6-1 in just one hour and one minute.

No.8 seed Swiatek has notched nine straight victories on the grounds of Roland Garros, and her victory over World No.60 Peterson was one of her most emphatic yet as she booked a spot in the third round for the third straight season.

"From the beginning, I felt like I had a good day today since I woke up, so I knew that, you know, I'm going to be in the right mood," Swiatek said in her post-match press conference. "I just kept that."

"I did my routines before the match," Swiatek continued. "Then when I was on the court, I just felt the ball perfectly. I felt like I could do anything with it. So I'm pretty happy that I had this attitude right now."

Swiatek, who became the first-ever Polish Grand Slam singles champion last year in Paris, has now won eight straight matches on tour, having won her third career singles title in Rome in her most recent event.

Currently ranked at a career-high World No.9, Swiatek was in complete control of her first meeting with Peterson, winning 80 percent of her first-service points, and slamming 22 winners to the Swede's seven.

"Obviously the score says that it was pretty easy, and it wasn't, because [Peterson] was playing really nice balls with good rhythm," Swiatek said.

Peterson had a handful of chances on the Swiatek serve in the opening set, and the two-time WTA singles titlist got on the scoreboard at 5-0 by breaking Swiatek with a forehand winner, preventing a bagel. But that proved to be a minor blip for Swiatek as she broke straight back at love, clinching the one-set lead with a deft dropshot.

The dropshot continued to come into play during the second set as well, as Swiatek mixed that stroke even more frequently into her otherwise powerful array of groundstroke weaponry. Once again, Swiatek charged ahead 5-0, this time without even facing a break point in the set.

"I can actually confuse players with that [dropshot] because they are, like, backing up, because I play really strong topspin and really heavy balls," Swiatek said. "They are not staying close to the baseline. They're waiting for the ball to drop. I can use dropshots and surprise them because they are not ready to go forward."

At last, Peterson held serve for the very first time in the penultimate game of the match, once more putting a digit in her ledger. But that only delayed the inevitable as Swiatek charged to triple match point in the next game, then fired a forehand winner on her first chance to wrap up the win.

Swiatek will face a seeded player in the next round of her title defense when she takes on No.30 seed Anett Kontaveit of Estonia. Former Top 15 player Kontaveit had a similarly swift victory on Thursday as she breezed past French hope Kristina Mladenovic, 6-2, 6-0, in just 51 minutes.

Former Top 10 player and 2017 Roland Garros quarterfinalist Mladenovic was no match for Kontaveit on the day, as the Estonian hit 20 winners to Mladenovic's seven, and never had her serve broken.

Kontaveit does bring an eye-opening 2-0 head-to-head lead into her clash with Swiatek, including a close, gritty victory over the Pole in the round of 16 at last year's Australian Open.

wtatennis.com

Next one is going to be the first real test for Iga but if she plays as well as her first 2 matches, she will finally get her win over Kontaveit for sure. Should be a high quality match. 

Roger Federer gaining confidence as he gets past Cilic at Roland Garros

Swiss great stands up to Cilic's second-round challenge to claim battle of Grand Slam champions

It is not at this early stage that one half of the four Grand Slam champions left expect to cross paths.

Next to the 'Big Three', Marin Cilic was the only other man with a major trophy to his name following the first round in Paris.

On Thursday, only three could possibly survive and it was the most senior standard-bearer – the oldest man in the draw – Roger Federer, who stepped up to let Cilic know it was his time to go.


As had been the case in 10 prior showdowns, the Croatian started as rank underdog – despite having climbed as high as world No.3 – but had hoped Federer’s lack of matches might compensate for his lack of wins leading in.

This was the only Slam where the two had never met and Federer ensured he left Court Philippe-Chatrier with the box set of victories, his 6-2, 2-6, 7-6(4), 6-2 result achieved in two hours and 35 minutes.

“I feel like I come out of a match like this and I know why it was up and down,” Federer said. “And then that I was able to attain a solid level once he did break back in the third set and things were looking dangerous for me, that I was able to step up a gear, stay with him, and then pull away from him, I think that gives me a lot of confidence.”


Federer’s only defeat to the Croatian came in straight sets in a US Open semi-final seven years ago, when Cilic went on to capture his sole major trophy.

In 2017, a blistered left foot scuppered any chance of Cilic challenging for the trophy in the Wimbledon final, while six months later, it was the Swiss who again left the Croatian reeling following a five-set defeat in the Australian Open decider.

Three years on, 13 years since they first met, Federer was at it again.

One piece of Swiss artistry notably whipped the crowd into a wolf-whistling cacophony on Thursday, when he sliced a drop-shot backhand return from head height. The shot barely cleared the net for a winner and elicited a frown of concern across his opponent’s brow.

The 2009 champion was flying freely and secured the opening set a game later, but no sooner was it in the bag before momentum swung heavily Cilic’s way.

Federer engaged in a lengthy exchange with the chair umpire after being handed a time violation for taking too long between points at 1-3. This fetching your own towel caper was taking some getting used to and chewing up valuable Swiss time.

“I just feel like it was a misunderstanding on many levels. I didn't understand it and figure it out, and I guess I'm just new to the new tour,” Federer laughed. “It was quite interesting to live through it. Got a little energy to the match, which I liked.”

Cilic managed to hold his concentration and serve and rammed home the advantage with a double break to level the match.

This showdown ultimately hinged on the third set and it was the world No.47 who faltered on a double fault to direct the tiebreak in Federer’s favour.

Another double fault cost him dearly in the fourth as he conceded an early break and it was enough to sound his death knell as Federer pulled clear.

A third-round meeting with German world No.59 Dominik Koepfer is next for the No.3 seed and the chance to put his refurbished knee to the test again.

“For me, my knee, the good thing is that I got a lot of information out of a match like this,” Federer said. “We will keep on getting information tomorrow and the next day, so I hope I can back it up with another good match.

“And whatever the outcome is, I know it was definitely the right choice to come here to Paris, which I'm very happy about.”

rolandgarros.com

Roger Federer makes triumphant long awaited return to Grand Slam tennis at Roland Garros

Playing in his fourth match of the year and at only his third tournament, former World No. 1 Roger Federer wasted no time getting back to his winning ways at Roland Garros. The eighth seed was on song against qualifier Denis Istomin on Monday, claiming a 6-2, 6-4, 6-3 victory to reach the second round.

The 2009 Roland Garros champion has been keeping his expectations in check ahead of the year’s second Grand Slam tournament. Federer, who underwent two knee surgeries last year and was sidelined for most of the abbreviated 2020 season, made his return to action at ATP 250 events in Doha and Geneva, where he amassed a 1-2 record.

But he shook off the rust in style against Istomin on Court Philippe-Chatrier. Federer didn’t face a break point across three sets, and extended his ATP Head2Head dominance over the Uzbek player to 8-0.

“I just felt overall much clearer, much better,” Federer said. “Clearly also maybe the type of opponent allowed me to have many different ways to win the point. I knew if I came to the net, that was an option, hitting a drop shot was always an option, taking the ball early was an option.”

“I felt today I really made a bigger effort of going more in swings and not going through it like in the practice, where you just go point for point for point,” he added. “I sometimes have to tell myself, Take a little bit of time, walk to the towel, do something different... That's where I think I felt much more comfortable today because I made an effort to think about it.”

Federer will face 2014 US Open winner Marin Cilic in the second round, after the Croatian scored a 7-6(6), 6-1, 6-2 win over French wild card Arthur Rinderknech. It will be Federer's 11th time facing Cilic (9-1), in a rematch of the 2017 Wimbledon final and 2018 Australian Open final (both won by Federer).

Should Federer go on to lift his second Coupe des Mousquetaires trophy next week, he would become the first man in the Open Era to win every Grand Slam championship twice.

Federer took control of the rallies with his serve against Istomin, leaving the Uzbek under pressure and with few opportunities to do damage. He won 80 per cent (37/46) of points behind his first serve, and 79 per cent (15/19) of his second serve points.

The Swiss set the tone early on with a break to 15 in the first game, and he never looked back, finding his range as the match went on. The eighth seed found 48 winners, including eight aces, in the match, with 15 of those coming in the 22-minute opening set.

Istomin did well to hang with Federer in the second and third sets, targeting his opponent’s one-handed backhand. He saved four of five break points in the second set, but couldn’t hold back the 18-time Grand Slam winner as he took the lead again at 2-1. Federer reeled off five of the last six games in the third set to close out the match after an hour and 33 minutes.

“Overall I'm very happy [with my movement],” Federer said. “I can attest to that, as well. I moved pretty well today. I also kept rallies short purposely so I wouldn't get dragged into the long rallies. Always throw in the drop shot. We'll see what happens.”

Did You Know?

Federer has now won 29 of his 30 meetings with qualifiers at the majors. His only defeat to a qualifier at a Grand Slam came against Mario Ancic in the first round at 2002 Wimbledon.

atptennis.com 

I have waited 487 days to say this: Welcome back to Grand Slam tennis Roger Federer. We've missed you. 

I know the French Open is always all about Rafa, but watching Roger play today I was reminded how good, and fun he is to watch on clay. 

Even after all this time away he still possess a gracefulness unmatched by any of his peers. When his serve is working like it was today, his entire game just flows. 

There is a fluidity to the way he moves on court that's still captivating And I genuinely forgot just how much I missed it at Grand Slams especially. 

I know realistically he will not win this tournament, but I hope he sticks around for at least a few more matches, because I just want to enjoy him floating around that court some more.

Roland Garros Champion Iga Swiatek starts title defense with win on her Birthday

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No.8 seed Iga Swiatek posted an impressive 6-0, 7-5 win over Kaja Juvan in one hour and 27 minutes to kick off her Roland Garros title defence. The Pole was untouchable for the first half of the match, dropping just nine points in the first set. But she had to work harder to close it out as Juvan raised her level, and needed all of her focus to edge a second set that could have gone either way.

Juvan is a familiar face for Swiatek. The pair have been both friends and opponents since their junior days, having first met at U14 tournaments and graduated to the pro ranks together. As partners, they were doubles gold medallists at the 2018 Youth Olympic Games; as competitors, they first played in the semifinals of the U16 European Junior Championships back in 2016.

Swiatek won that match 6-3, 6-2, as well as their first pro encounter this February in the second round of the Gippsland Trophy 2-6, 6-2, 6-1. Here, playing her first pro match as a defending champion and celebrating her 20th birthday, she showed no sign of being affected by either the moment or her No.101-ranked opponent, tallying 22 winners to 24 unforced errors.

"You never know what's going to happen when you're coming out on a court as a defending champion," Swiatek said. "I've never been in a situation like that. I'm really glad I could handle that pretty well and just play tennis, play a normal match without having in the back of my mind that I'm defending the title."

Indeed, Swiatek picked up where she had left off two weeks ago in Rome. She had captured that title with an eviscerating performance in the final, whitewashing Karolina Pliskova 6-0, 6-0.

In a 23-minute first set against Juvan, everything Swiatek touched continued to turn to gold. She came out on top of cat-and-mouse net exchanges, flicked reflex dropshot winners off full-power returns and hammered heavy forehands beyond Juvan's reach.

"It's never easy to play against your best friend," said Swiatek. "I have some experience because I played with Kaja for a few times. You just try to block this friendship for two hours, just focus on the game. I think I'm doing that pretty well. It's nice to have that skill. So I was just trying to treat Kaja as any other girl, as any other opponent, because in sports when we are on court you can't have thoughts that are you going to make your game more soft."

Swiatek's winning streak of games reached 20 before Juvan finally held in the second set. From there, the Slovenian turned a one-sided rout into an absorbing contest, methodically working her way back into the match by adjusting her tactics and execution.

Having hit 12 unforced errors but no winners in the first set, Juvan began to find success by repeatedly deploying a well-disguised dropshot - and sometimes a fake dropshot that drew Swiatek forwards before Juvan pushed the ball deep instead.

The 20-year-old's canny play very nearly forced a third set. Having broken back to erase a 1-3 deficit, Juvan held two break points at 5-5, and missed a pass by inches on the second. Serving to stay in the match, she staved off the first three match points she faced with bold play.

But Swiatek, sensing victory, continued to pile on the pressure. A final banger of a backhand on her fourth match point was too much for Juvan to handle and sealed Swiatek's seventh win in a row.

Up next for Swiatek will be Rebecca Peterson, who came from a set and 2-5 down to beat Shelby Rogers 6-7(3), 7-6(8), 6-2 in exactly three hours. The Swede saved three match points in the second-set tiebreak.

That result means Swiatek will avoid the dangerous Rogers, who owns five Top 20 wins in the past year alone, and instead play Peterson, who has just two in her career to date.

https://www.wtatennis.com/news/2163398/swiatek-kicks-off-roland-garros-title-defence-with-juvan-win

20 year old iga Swiatek wrote a message on the camera lens after the match saying she feels old 

Which just made me feel ancient. 

Congrats to Iga on another impressive win and Happy Birthday! 

Roger Federer to play home tournament in Geneva & Roland Garros in May

Roger Federer announced on social media Sunday that this clay-court season he will compete in the Gonet Geneva Open and Roland Garros.

"Hi everyone! Happy to let you know that I will play Geneva and Paris," Federer tweeted. "Until then, I will use the time to train. Can't wait to play in Switzerland again."

In March, 39-year-old Federer competed at the Qatar ExxonMobil Open in Doha, marking his first tournament since the 2020 Australian Open. Last year, he underwent two arthroscopic right knee surgeries. Federer last played on clay at 2019 Roland Garros.

Federer last played in his home country in Basel in 2019, when he claimed his 10th title at that tournament. The Laver Cup was in held in Geneva in 2019, when Federer defeated Nick Kyrgios and John Isner to help lead Team Europe to victory.

atptennis.com