Are we just one round away from World No.1 Iga Swiatek facing World No.2 Aryna Sabalenka in a humungous women’s final?
On Thursday in Paris, Swiatek and Sabalenka are both favorites to win their semifinals. But Beatriz Haddad Maia and Karolina Muchova both provide challenging styles of play, and their chances should not be overlooked.
Also, the mixed doubles championship match will be staged, featuring an inspiring redemption story, and the 2019 US Open women’s singles champion.
Karolina Muchova vs. Aryna Sabalenka (2) – Not Before 3:00pm on Court Philippe-Chatrier
Sabalenka is 34-5 this season, and is vying for her sixth final of the year, and her 13th consecutive win at a Major. After losing her first three Slam semifinals, all by the score of 6-4 in the third, she broke through this past January in Melbourne with a straight-set victory over Magda Linette. Aryna has claimed all 10 sets she’s played this fortnight.
Muchova is 22-7 on the year, and is into the second Major semifinal of her career. She first achieved this feat two years ago at the Australian Open, when she lost a three-set semifinal to Jennifer Brady. Karolina has dropped one set to this stage, and notably upset another Roland Garros semifinalist, Maria Sakkari, in the first round.
They’ve only played once before, four years ago on a hard court in Zhuhai, with Sabalenka prevailing in a tight two-setter. Muchova’s variety is often quite effective in disrupting her opponents. But based on the confidence Aryna has been playing with, her huge game makes her the favorite to reach a second consecutive Major final.
Iga Swiatek (1) vs. Beatriz Haddad Maia (14) – Last on Court Philippe Chatrier
Swiatek is 33-6 in 2023, and is looking for her fifth final of the season. She is 17-2 on clay this year, and 26-2 lifetime at Roland Garros. And Iga has been completely dominant this fortnight, losing only 17 games across nine sets. She holds a 3-1 record in Major semifinals.
This is entirely new territory for Haddad Maia. Prior to this tournament, she was 0-7 in the second round of Slams. But she’s now 22-11 this year, after winning four consecutive three-setters at this event, and upsetting Ons Jabeur on Wednesday.
Beatriz is actually 1-0 against Iga, having defeated her 7-5 in the third last summer in Toronto. She utilizes her lefty-ness well, and was intelligently aggressive during pivotal times of her match against Jabeur. But on this surface, and in a match of this magnitude, Swiatek is a considerable favorite to reach her third Roland Garros final.
Other Notable Matches on Thursday:
Miyu Kato and Tim Puetz vs. Bianca Andreescu and Michael Venus – Kato was defaulted from the women’s doubles draw after hitting a ball girl with a ball, but has owned that error and earned a lot of goodwill in the process. This is a first Major final in any discipline for Kati and Puetz, while Venus won the men’s doubles title at this event six years ago, and Andreescu’s resume is well-documented.
Thursday’s full Order of Play is here.
