Iga Swiatek saves a match point and comes back to beat Naomi Osaka at the French Open

Iga Swiatek saves a match point and comes back to beat Naomi Osaka at the French Open
Poland’s Iga Swiatek plays a shot against Japan’s Naomi Osaka during their second round match of the French Open tennis tournament at the Roland Garros stadium in Paris on May 29, 2024. (AP)
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Updated 29 May 2024
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Iga Swiatek saves a match point and comes back to beat Naomi Osaka at the French Open

Iga Swiatek saves a match point and comes back to beat Naomi Osaka at the French Open
  • Surging down the stretch as Osaka faded, Swiatek saved a match point and grabbed the last five games to sneak her way to a 7-6 (1), 1-6, 7-5 victory
  • “For sure, this match was really intense,” Swiatek said

PARIS: Iga Swiatek played like the current No. 1 and the two-time defending champion at the French Open. No surprise there. That Naomi Osaka looked like the former No. 1 that she is — and on clay, no less — amounted to an announcement that she is still quite capable of elite tennis.
Surging down the stretch as Osaka faded, Swiatek saved a match point and grabbed the last five games to sneak her way to a 7-6 (1), 1-6, 7-5 victory in the second round of the French Open on Wednesday night in a thrill-a-minute contest befitting two women who both own four Grand Slam titles.
“For sure, this match was really intense. Much more intense for the second round than I ever expected. For sure, I’ll be more ready next time,” Swiatek said. “Naomi played amazing tennis. … I’m happy that she’s back and she’s playing well.”
For Swiatek, this extended her Roland Garros winning streak to 16 matches as she pursues a third consecutive trophy at the clay-court major. For Osaka, who cried when she left the court after letting a 5-2 lead in the concluding set slip away, this amounted to a return to her big-hitting best.
They went back-and-forth for nearly three hours as rain loudly pelted the outside of the closed roof at Court Philippe Chatrier — showers forced the postponements of 23 singles matches until Thursday — and a riveted, if hardly full, crowd alternated their support between the two players. Sometimes, spectators called out before a point was done, prompting admonishment from chair umpire Aurélie Tourte during the match. And from Swiatek afterward.
“Sometimes, under a lot of pressure, when you scream something during the rally or right before the return, it’s really, really hard to be focused,” Swiatek said. “The stakes are big and there is a lot of money here to win. So losing a few points may change a lot. So please, guys, if you can support us between the rallies but not during, that would be really, really amazing.”
Osaka served for the victory at 5-3 in the final set, and was a point away from winning, but she put a backhand into the net. Soon, when Osaka missed another backhand, this one long, Swiatek finally converted a break point on her 10th chance of that set, and they played on.
Maybe the lack of high-level matches caught up to Osaka, because her mistakes continued to mount, including a double-fault that put Swiatek in control 6-5. Swiatek, who has led the WTA rankings for nearly every week since April 2022, then held serve one last time.
“I don’t necessarily feel like I regret anything,” Osaka said.
Still, this was, without a doubt, Osaka’s top performance since she returned to the tour in January after 15 months away while becoming a mother. (Her daughter, who is 10 months old now, accompanied Osaka to Paris and recently started walking.)
“I was watching Iga win this tournament last year, and I was pregnant. It was just my dream to be able to play her,” Osaka said. “When I kind of think of it like that, I think I’m doing pretty well. And I’m also just trying not to be too hard on myself. I feel like I played her on her better surface. I’m a hard-court kid, so I would love to play her on my surface and see what happens.”
Because of the weather, only nine matches were completed Wednesday, and winners included Coco Gauff, Ons Jabeur, Sofia Kenin, Carlos Alcaraz, Stefanos Tsitsipas and Andrey Rublev.
It’s been a few years since Osaka played this capably and confidently, hammering big serves at up to 122 mph (197 kph) and imposing groundstrokes. Her quick-strike capabilities were on full display: Osaka won 82 of the 139 points (59 percent) that lasted four strokes or fewer, and she finished with a 54-37 advantage in total winners.
All of those familiar mannerisms were back, too. She turned her back to Swiatek to reset between points, hopped in place, tugged at her pink visor’s brim and slapped her palm on her thigh. Osaka celebrated points by shaking a clenched fist and shouting “Come on!”
She grabbed nine of 10 games to dominate the second set and lead 3-0 in the third. Then 4-1. Then 5-2.
As one ball or another would fly past Swiatek, zipped near a corner or right at a line, she turned toward her guest box and shot a look of confusion or concern in the direction of her coach and her sports psychologist.
“I felt for most of the match that I wasn’t really (in the) here and now,” Swiatek said. “My mind was, like, playing around sometimes.”
She’s not used to this sort of one-way traffic coming head-on in her direction. Normally, it’s Swiatek who is delivering lopsided sets at a foe’s expense, especially on clay. She now has won her last 14 matches this month, with titles on the surface at Madrid and Rome — a clay double no woman had done since Serena Williams in 2013.
But this marked a sudden return to the Osaka everyone came to expect, match in and match out, back when she was at the height of her powers, climbing atop the rankings and gathering two trophies apiece at the US Open and Australian Open from late 2018 to early 2021.
It was in May 2021 that Osaka withdrew from the French Open before her second-round match, explaining that she experiences “huge waves of anxiety” before speaking to the media and revealing she had dealt with depression. She took time away from the tour for a mental health break, then opted for another hiatus after her title defense at the US Open a few months later ended with a third-round loss.
She helped usher in a change in the way athletes, sports fans and society at large understood the importance of mental health — and prompted those in charge of various sports, including tennis, to take the issue seriously and try to accommodate and protect them better.
Osaka entered with an 0-4 record on the red stuff against opponents ranked in the top 10 and never has been past the third round at Roland Garros. This also would have been her first win anywhere against a top-10 opponent since January 2020.
Instead, though, it is Swiatek who moves on and continues her bid to become the first woman with three championships in a row in Paris since Justine Henin in 2007-09.


Inspired Andreeva, 17, bags Dubai title, makes WTA history

Inspired Andreeva, 17, bags Dubai title, makes WTA history
Updated 23 February 2025
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Inspired Andreeva, 17, bags Dubai title, makes WTA history

Inspired Andreeva, 17, bags Dubai title, makes WTA history
  • It was a performance that didn’t just earn Andreeva a maiden WTA 1000 trophy, but also secured her top-10 debut with the Russian expected to rise to No. 9 when the new rankings are released on Monday
  • Besides the 1,000 ranking points she received for winning the Dubai crown, Andreeva pocketed $597,000 in prize money, which she says she will hand over to her father

DUBAI: Inspired by LeBron James and Roger Federer, Russian 17-year-old Mirra Andreeva wrapped up a fairytale week in Dubai by becoming the youngest ever WTA 1000 champion with victory over Clara Tauson on Saturday.

After ousting three Grand Slam winners, including second-seeded Iga Swiatek, en route to the final, Andreeva ended Tauson’s own dream run at the tournament with a 7-6 (7/1), 6-1 victory against the Dane.

It was a performance that didn’t just earn Andreeva a maiden WTA 1000 trophy, but also secured her top-10 debut with the Russian expected to rise to No. 9 when the new rankings are released on Monday.

Andreeva admitted she did not feel her best on court during the final, but drew inspiration from interviews she watched of NBA legend James talking about how champions can find ways to win even without their A-game.

“I just told myself, ‘You can either let that negativity come into your head and kill you, or you can choose to be 100 percent mentally and fight for every point and if something doesn’t go your way, well okay fine, you forget about it and you play one point at a time’,” said Andreeva.

“I’ve been listening to a lot of LeBron James interviews, and he said that, ‘It’s easy to be confident and to play good when everything goes your way, but what makes you a champion is when you’re giving your best when you don’t feel great’. So that’s what I tried to do today.”

Andreeva also revealed she has been watching highlights from Roger Federer’s 2017 Australian Open final victory over Rafael Nadal before her matches this week, taking cues from the Swiss great.

“I was watching some highlights. I was like, ‘Damn, how can he play like this? This is something extraordinary’,” she said.

Tauson had been a giant-slayer herself in Dubai, knocking out world No. 1 Aryna Sabalenka on her way to the biggest final of her career.

The 22-year-old entered the clash with Andreeva leading the tour with 15 match-wins so far this season.

She was looking to add a second title to her tally in 2025, and fourth overall, but Andreeva had other ideas, as she overcame her big-hitting opponent in one hour and 46 minutes of all-court prowess.

In the youngest WTA 1000 final since the category was introduced in 2009, Andreeva played a near-perfect opening-set tiebreak to take the lead after 60 minutes of play.

She upped the ante in the second set, breaking twice for a 5-1 advantage and served out the win at the first time of asking.

On Monday, Andreeva will become the first 17-year-old to be ranked in the top 10 since Nicole Vaidisova in 2007.

During the trophy ceremony, Andreeva congratulated Tauson and thanked her coach Conchita Martinez and her family for their support. The affable teenager then surprised the crowd by paying credit to herself.

“Last but not least, I would like to thank me. I know what I have been dealing with so I want to thank me for always believing in me, I want to thank me for never quitting and always dealing with the pressure,” said Andreeva.

“Today it was not easy but I chose to be there 100 percent, so I thank myself for that.”

Besides the 1,000 ranking points she received for winning the Dubai crown, Andreeva pocketed $597,000 in prize money, which she says she will hand over to her father, given she is still 17 and doesn’t manage her own finances.

The Russian had set a goal for herself before the start of the season to finish the year ranked in the top 10 — a target she has now checked off her list in just the second month of her campaign.

Tauson confessed she ran out of steam at the end of a taxing week, and revealed she had been spending almost three hours each day with the tournament physios to deal with various physical issues.

“I can’t tell you where it doesn’t hurt right now,” said the Dane.


Teenager Mirra Andreeva stuns world No. 2 Iga Swiatek to become youngest semifinalist in Dubai history

Teenager Mirra Andreeva stuns world No. 2 Iga Swiatek to become youngest semifinalist in Dubai history
Updated 21 February 2025
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Teenager Mirra Andreeva stuns world No. 2 Iga Swiatek to become youngest semifinalist in Dubai history

Teenager Mirra Andreeva stuns world No. 2 Iga Swiatek to become youngest semifinalist in Dubai history
  • The 17-year-old beat the 5-time Grand Slam winner in straight sets for a place in the last 4 against world No. 7 Elena Rybakina
  • Friday’s other semifinal has unseeded Danish star Clara Tauson, who beat world No. 1 Aryna Sabalenka, face No. 14 seed Karolina Muchova of Czech Republic

DUBAI: World No. 2 Iga Swiatek was sensationally knocked out of the Dubai Duty Free Tennis Championships in straight sets on Thursday as the talented teen Mirra Andreeva made history to book a place in the WTA 1000 semifinal for the first time in her career.

With the win, Andreeva becomes the youngest player to reach the final four since the emirate’s tournament began in 2001.

When world No. 1 and top seed Aryna Sabalenka crashed out of the tournament on Wednesday night, Swiatek, a five-time Grand Slam winner, looked favorite for a maiden Dubai crown.

Yet less than 24 hours later, the Polish star was also packing her bags after a stunning performance by Andreeva, who claimed a 6-3, 6-3 victory to become, at 17 years and 297 days, the youngest semifinalist in the 25-year history of the Dubai women’s event.

Andreeva, who admitted she was nervous beforehand, struggled in her first service game of the opening set, but managed to save three break points before breaking her opponent’s serve to take the lead.

Covering the court well while also reading Swiatek’s shots, she broke once more with a powerful forehand down the line.

Swiatek rallied to establish a 3-1 lead in the second set, but Andreeva refused to surrender. Following a brief on-court conversation with her coach, the teen went on to win five games in a row to secure the win.

The victory proved sweet revenge for the three-set defeat she suffered in her only other meeting with Swiatek in Cincinnati last year.

“Last time we played, (it) was a close match — tough, intense,” Andreeva said. “This time, I just tried to tell myself to go for my shots, to be aggressive, to not hesitate.”

She added: “That helped me to win in a way. I just tell myself, if I’m here, I play my best, I try to play my best, I go for my shots, fight for every ball. It doesn’t matter what’s happening on the court.

“If I lose 6-0, 5-0 or I win 7-5, 6-4, it doesn’t matter. I just go for my shots and try to bring out my best level.”

Next up for No. 12 seed Andreeva is a semifinal clash with world No. 7 Elena Rybakina, who defeated American wildcard Sofia Kenin 6-2, 7-6(2) under lights.

The Kazakh reached the final in Dubai in 2020 and is aware that while expectation dictates that her experience should help, there is an inherent danger in playing an opponent who has already exceeded her own expectations.

“For sure, she has nothing to lose now,” Rybakina said of Andreeva. “She is playing very well in this tournament and is very dangerous. She’s physically very good, very quick.

“Also I saw today a couple of games and she was serving really well. If she plays like that, for sure it won’t be easy, but I will try to recover and be prepared to show my best.”

Asked how her own mindset has changed from being a young player to now being a Grand Slam winner with a target on her back, the Wimbledon 2022 champion responded: “Definitely before I was just going out there and enjoying; just hitting free.

“The atmosphere is always nice to play on these big courts and nothing to lose when I was young. Every match was a great experience, but it is different when you’re a top player because everybody wants to beat you.

“(Andreeva) has so much in front of her and she’s for sure dangerous for me.” 

In the other semifinal, unseeded Dane Clara Tauson will meet No. 14 seed Karolina Muchova, who beat Romania’s Sorana Cirstea in the late match of the day.

Tauson, ranked No. 38 in the world, made headlines on Wednesday night after slaying Sabalenka in straights sets and she admitted fears she would be unable to match that performance in Thursday’s quarterfinal.

She need not have worried, defeating the Czech Linda Noskova 7-6(4), 6-4 on Centre Court. “The level I had (against Sabalenka) is a level you hit maybe five or six times a year, so I was sure it wasn’t going to be the same and I was really prepared for that.

“I was texting one of my best friends (last night): ‘I had a great match today; I’m for sure going to play (bad) tomorrow.’ But I didn’t and I’m really happy about that … otherwise, I would have lost for sure.

“That’s what helped me, I think, I was aware it was going to be a tougher match.”

The 25th edition of the annual WTA 1000 event runs until Feb. 22, followed by the 33rd staging of the men’s ATP Tour 500 tournament from Feb. 24 to March 1.


Rublev needs 8 match points to beat De Minaur in Qatar Open quarterfinals

Rublev needs 8 match points to beat De Minaur in Qatar Open quarterfinals
Updated 20 February 2025
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Rublev needs 8 match points to beat De Minaur in Qatar Open quarterfinals

Rublev needs 8 match points to beat De Minaur in Qatar Open quarterfinals
  • The Russian fifth seed wasted a 5-2 lead in the last set against the Australian second seed
  • He’ll face Canada’s Félix Auger-Aliassime

DOHA: Andrey Rublev saved one match point and needed eight of his own to subdue Alex de Minaur 6-1, 3-6, 7-6 (8) in the Qatar Open quarterfinals on Thursday.
The tortuous journey to the win prompted Rublev to joke about de Minaur, “I wanna punch him.”
The Russian fifth seed wasted a 5-2 lead in the last set against the Australian second seed, who forced the tiebreak with remarkable scrambling.
But after 2 1/2 hours, Rublev was through to his fourth semifinals in Doha, where he won the title in 2020.
He’ll face Canada’s Félix Auger-Aliassime, who beat Daniil Medvedev when the Russian retired after losing the first set 6-3.
“I felt he was playing normal,” Auger-Aliassime said on court. “And then I broke, I held my serve. And he just told (the umpire) that he didn’t want to shake our hands because he was sick. I hope it’s nothing too bad. I was surprised.”


Alcaraz needs three sets to oust Luca Nardi at Qatar Open

Alcaraz needs three sets to oust Luca Nardi at Qatar Open
Updated 20 February 2025
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Alcaraz needs three sets to oust Luca Nardi at Qatar Open

Alcaraz needs three sets to oust Luca Nardi at Qatar Open
  • Second-seeded Alex de Minaur beat Botic van de Zandschulp 6-4, 6-4 to set up a quarterfinal match against fifth-seeded Andrey Rublev
  • Fourth-seeded Daniil Medvedev beat Zizou Bergs 6-2, 6-1 and will meet Felix Auger-Aliassime in the final eight

DOHA: Top-seeded Carlos Alcaraz reached the quarterfinals of the Qatar Open by beating Luca Nardi 6-1, 4-6, 6-3 on Wednesday.

The 21-year-old Spaniard let his guard down in the second set, when his Italian opponent fought back from trailing 1-4 to force a decider.

“My energy levels probably went down a little bit, but credit to him,” said the third-ranked Alcaraz, who will next face Jiri Lehecka.

Also Wednesday, second-seeded Alex de Minaur beat Botic van de Zandschulp 6-4, 6-4 to set up a quarterfinal match against fifth-seeded Andrey Rublev.

Fourth-seeded Daniil Medvedev beat Zizou Bergs 6-2, 6-1 and will meet Felix Auger-Aliassime in the final eight.

Jack Draper eliminated Christopher O’Connell 6-2, 6-1. He will next play either Matteo Berrettini, who knocked out Novak Djokovic, or Tallon Griekspoor.


Raducanu says ‘I’ll be OK’ after man removed from stands at Dubai tournament

Raducanu says ‘I’ll be OK’ after man removed from stands at Dubai tournament
Updated 19 February 2025
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Raducanu says ‘I’ll be OK’ after man removed from stands at Dubai tournament

Raducanu says ‘I’ll be OK’ after man removed from stands at Dubai tournament
  • “Thank you for the messages of support. Difficult experience yesterday but I’ll be okay and proud of how I came back and competed,” Raducanu wrote
  • WTA issued a statement explaining that Raducanu was approached in a public space Monday “by a man who exhibited fixated behavior”

DUBAI: Emma Raducanu said she will be OK after what she called a “difficult experience” related to the presence of a man who had exhibited “fixated behavior” toward her at the Dubai Championships.
The 2021 US Open champion had approached the chair umpire early in her second-round match against 14th-seeded Karolina Muchova on Tuesday night. She was in tears, and the WTA later linked her reaction to the presence of the unidentified man.
On Wednesday, the 22-year-old British player responded with a statement on her Instagram account.
“Thank you for the messages of support. Difficult experience yesterday but I’ll be okay and proud of how I came back and competed despite what happened at the start of the match,” Raducanu wrote. “Thank you to Karolina for being a great sport and best of luck to her for the rest of the tournament.”
Raducanu, who was still a teenager in 2022 when a man in Britain was convicted of stalking her, returned to play after a brief delay at 2-0 down and eventually lost 7-6 (6), 6-4 to Muchova.
Early Wednesday, the WTA issued a statement explaining that Raducanu was approached in a public space Monday “by a man who exhibited fixated behavior” and “this same individual was identified in the first few rows during Emma’s match on Tuesday ... and subsequently ejected.”
“He will be banned from all WTA events pending a threat assessment.”
The chair umpire called tournament organizers immediately when Raducanu reported her concerns in the first set of the night match, and Muchova walked over to console her opponent.
Raducanu then picked up a towel, wiped her face, nodded and continued the match. She didn’t immediately comment on the incident.
The WTA said it was working with Raducanu and her team “to ensure her well-being and provide any necessary support.”
Raducanu rose to fame in 2021 by winning the US Open as a qualifier, one of the most unlikely achievements in tennis. She hasn’t advanced past the third round at a major since then and has spent long stints recovering from injuries.