We now know the posters of the semi-finals of the Roland-Garros tournament. In the women’s draw, after the Belarusian Aryna Sabalenka and the Czech Karolina Muchova, the Brazilian Beatriz Haddad Maia and the Polish Iga Swiatek emerged victorious from their respective quarter-finals on Wednesday June 7.
Among the men, where we already knew about the clash to come between the Spaniard Carlos Alcaraz and the Serbian Novak Djokovic, Alexander Zverev eliminated the Argentinian Tomas Martin Etcheverry and will come up against Casper Ruud, winner of his duel, Wednesday evening, against Holger Rune.
- A year after his injury, Zverev back in the semi-finals
On June 3, 2022, Alexander Zverev’s cry of pain tore through Central as they faced Rafael Nadal in the semi-finals. A year and a few days after his ankle injury, the German will be back on Center Court at the same level of competition.
27e World Cup qualified on Wednesday by eliminating Argentinian Tomas Martin Etcheverry (49e) 6-4, 3-6, 6-3, 6-4 in the quarter-finals. “I’m in the semi-finals of Roland-Garros and I’m very happy! As I said before, the past year has been the most difficult of my life. That’s why I’m so happy to be back. i’m coming back on friday [pour la demi-finale] and I couldn’t be happier”commented after the meeting, the 26-year-old German who did not yet know, at that time, the name of his future opponent: Casper Ruud.
- Ruud not tender with Rune
As in 2022 when their confrontation in the semi-finals had been icy, the Norwegian prodigy Casper Ruud, world number 4 and outgoing finalist in Paris, stopped the young Dane Holger Rune (6e) 6-1, 6-2, 3-6, 6-3 in the quarter-finals.
“I am very relievedrecognized the winner. I tried to play without pressure, but it’s not easy in big games. Luckily for me he couldn’t feel too good in the first two sets, he made a lot of mistakes and I got a lot of free points, it helped me relax. »
At 24, Ruud will play the third major semi-final of his career. The Norwegian won the first two, already at Roland-Garros and at the US Open in 2022, but he lost each time in the final afterwards, against Rafael Nadal in Paris, and Alcaraz in New York. His victory against Rune (20) is his first against a top 10 player in 2023, he who had a very average season before Roland-Garros.
- The beautiful story of Beatriz Haddad Maia
She created the surprise. Brazilian Beatriz Haddad Maia, 14e world player, validated her place for the semi-finals of Roland-Garros, putting an end at the same time to the course of the Tunisian Ons Jabeur, 7e world,Wimbledon and US Open finalist last year. The native of Sao Paulo won in three sets – 3-6, 7-6 (7/5), 6-1 – on a Philippe-Chatrier court bathed in sunshine.
At 27, Haddad Maia is the first Brazilian to access this stage of the Parisian Grand Slam since the start of the Open era, she who had never managed to pass the second round of a Major until then. She signed the greatest feat of her career, hampered by four operations and a ten-month suspension for testing positive for anabolics in July 2019. Her lawyers had at the time succeeded in proving that it was an error of the pharmacy which provided him with food supplements.
“I am very proud of myself”blew the interested party, incredulous, after 2:29 a.m. of the match.
- Iga Swiatek, always in control
The poster looked like deja vu: that of the 2022 final. Like last year, Iga Swiatek dismissed Coco Gauff in two sets (6-4, 6-2). The Polish, defending champion and world number 1, was more solid and consistent against an American full of desire and offensive, but who rushed and lacked lucidity in important moments.
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“The quarter-finals are sometimes the most difficult matches. Even though she is young [19 ans], she already has experience. I’m happy to be in the semi-finals “Commented Iga Swiatek, on the court, after his victory. The 22-year-old player, who had to give up in the quarter-finals of the Rome tournament a week before the start of Roland-Garros (pain in the right thigh), seems to be resuming her cruising speed: no set lost in five games and only 5:39 am spent on the court.
She who has already won the Suzanne-Lenglen Cup twice (last year and in 2020) is now aiming for a third Porte d’Auteuil final. For that, he will have to beat Beatriz Haddad Maia. The Brazilian won their only previous confrontation (6-4, 3-6, 7-5), in Toronto (Canada), in August 2022.
