Sunday, June 01, 2025

RG.8- Iga Begins Again

So we finally found out what it would take to shake some sense into Iga Swiatek between the lines of a tennis court.




For most of the #5-seeded, three-time defending and four-time Roland Garros champion's 4th Round match on Sunday vs. #12 Elena Rybakina, the bizarro world in which the former #1 has been residing over the past twelve months had finally intruded upon her "sacred ground." Sure, the Pole lost on the terre battue in Paris during last year's Olympics, but that's a "footnote tournament." This was Roland-bleepin'-Garros, where Swiatek virtually made her name, built the foundation of an eventual Hall of Fame career, and even celebrates her birthday every May.

What Rybakina was doing to her for a set and change on Day 8 was almost offensive in that light. It was as if she'd stormed into Swiatek's home, raided her refridgerator, prepared herself a meal and sat down right in front of Iga and started to gobble it down... after taking a fork from Swiatek's grasp to eat it all with, while Iga could only look on helplessly.

Swiatek has suffered some truly awful loses of late, including on her favored clay this spring. But not at Roland Garros. This was an entirely different animal. While Rybakina had won seven straight clay matches this season, Swiatek had won *24* straight in RG play since 2022, was closing in on the all-time women's streak record of 29 (a 44-year old mark held by Chris Evert) as well as getting ever more near to getting the chance to become the first in the Open era to win the women's title four straight years.

But there was Rybakina, rocking Swiatek's world. Right out of the gate today, the Kazakh was dominant. Up love/40 on Swiatek's first service game, she broke to lead 2-0. Swiatek tried serving bigger, but it didn't help. Rybakina's big shots continued to overwhelm her. 4-0. 5-0. Suddenly, everyone had to look up Swiatek's last love set lost at RG (vs. Simona Halep, 2019 4r). The Pole was bageled by Madison Keys in a set earlier this spring, and nearly so by both Coco Gauff and Danielle Collins, as well. But this was Roland Garros.

Rybakina held a SP to win 6-0, but couldn't pull it off. Swiatek DF'd on a GP in game 6, but held to get on the board. Rybakina won the 1st set 6-1, "bullying" (in the words of TNT's Lindsay Davenport) the defending champ on her favorite surface on her favorite court, and didn't seem phased by much of anything early in the 2nd, either.



Swiatek double-faulted to lose the opening game of the set at love, then saw Rybakina hold at love to lead 2-0. Was this how the streak was going to end, with a funereal silence on Chatrier and all the headlines and dark comments about Swiatek's ongoing plight that would come along with it?

But then something weird happened. Swiatek tried something different. She took a few steps back to return Rybakina's big serve, giving herself time to get a look at it and get into the rally, where she likely could carve out an advantage. It seems like a small, sensible and common in-match alteration of tactics against a big hitter when things aren't going well, but Swiatek has seemingly (stubbornly) refused to do it in such situations for well on more than a year, hoping to outduel her opponent or have her crack in order to turn the tide. It's worked out for her on occasion, but why not give it a chance more often? It's been a lingering mystery, through two different coaching regimes, as Swiatek has often fallen victim, or struggled to pull out victories, against foes who hit deep and hard and didn't give her much time to react.

Apparently, the notion of being embarrased and ridden out of Roland Garros in a clown car was finally enough to properly view what has been a reality all along.

With her blinders finally off, though Rybakina didn't suddenly become a pushover as a result, things started to slowly turn in Swiatek's favor.

She reached BP on Rybakina's serve in game 4. The Kazakh erased it with a big serve, but on BP #2 Rybakina avoided hitting an overhead volley into the open court and instead tried to direct the ball behind a scrambling Swiatek on the baseline. The ball flew out, putting the 2nd back on serve. A game later, Swiatek held in a long service game in which she faced an early BP, had multiple DF (plus two more BP) and traversed six deuce points en route to a hold and her first lead at 3-2. Another break of Rybakina's serve made it 4-2, as the Pole won the set 6-3 to knot the match.

Rybakina seemed to push Swiatek near the match edge in the 3rd, and briefly had a chance to force the four-time champ to a familiar place where she's often looked panicked in the past against big hitters like herself. She just needed a lead that would make Swiatek play from behind, vs. a streaking opponent, with almost-sure defeat "visible from here" without a tennis miracle suddenly taking place.

Rybakina held for 3-2 when Swiatek netted an easy volley, then slammed her racket down in anger on the net cord (she received no warning from chair umpire Kader Nouni). Rybakina grabbed a 15/40 lead on Iga's serve in the following game, one point from a 4-2 and serving for 5-2 edge that would *truly* test Swiatek's mettle. If she could only...



But rather than "put Iga in the corner," Rybakina saw Swiatek fight her way out of one, saving three BP and tying the score at 3-all. Reinvigorated, Swiatek fired a series of deep returns (two off the baseline) and took at 15/40 lead in game 7, breaking to assume the overall match lead for the first time at 4-3.

Rybakina still had time of her own, and took advantage with a love/30 lead, then BP chances at 15/40 after stepping in and whacking a return winner. A Swiatek DF on BP #2 put the set back on serve, giving the Kazakh another chance to see the finish line and dare Swiatek to keep her from it. Immediately, Rybakina nearly gave the break lead back, DF'ing on BP only to see Nouni overrule the call and present her with a lifeline. She grabbed it, holding to take a 5-4 lead.

But after maneuvering her way through what had become a tricky spot, Rybakina threw in a clunker of a game at precisely the worst time. A poor drop shot attempt landed at mid-court, allowing Swiatek to put it away for a 15/40 lead. Rybakina's forehand error a point later gave Iga a 6-5 lead and the match on her racket.

Having overcome a would-be disastrous start, and having survived nearly slipping down another frustration-filled hole that again put her on the brink of defeat in the 3rd set, Swiatek now only needed to hold to keep her latest Roland Garros dream alive. She did just that, winning 1-6/6-3/7-5.



With her 25th straight RG victory, Swiatek takes the head-to-head lead (at 5-4, 3-0 in '25) over Rybakina, and gets her first win over her the on clay (the Kazakh had been 2-0, and the only player with multiple wins against her on the surface).

A year ago, RG title #4 was preceded by Swiatek saving MP vs. Naomi Osaka in the 2nd Round. Rybakina never got so close today, but for a time a loss by the Pole seemed even *more* certain in the moment than it had a year ago. Will another close call spark an historic four-peat this time around?

Maybe, if Swiatek can just manage to continue to get out of her own way.









=DAY 8 NOTES=
...after a relative paucity of great contests over the first week of Roland Garros, things changed on Sunday. All eight of the top half 3rd Rounders had been finished up in straight sets, while the same was said of five of the eight matches in the bottom. But the Madison Keys/Sofia Kenin, back from MP down (the first such instance in Paris on the women's side this year), drama on Saturday seemed to finally light a spark.

Not only did the first half of the Round of 16 produce the Swiatek comeback, but *another* MP-saved (three, actually) victory had lit up the scoreboard earlier in the day, while another three setter followed in the afternoon. Ultimately, only #1 Aryna Sabalenka managed to keep her sets-lost slate clean during this trip to Paris (and even she had her closet set so far).

As for the early highlight...



At one point in her career, #13 Elina Svitolina winning a major title seemed a To-Do List item that would inevitability be checked off. As the years have gone by, her quest has sort of slipped below the radar what with all the other items on her life's plate, from marriage and motherhood, to her off-court activities in support of wartime Ukraine and doing whatever she can to help those in need in her home nation. Last week, Tennis Channel produced an entire segment that listed the six women who were "the best active players who've never won a major" and she wasn't even included in the bunch. Her name *was* eventually brought into the discussion, but the snub was still a telling one.

But, hold on.

With her being married to French player Gael Monfils, Svitolina would enjoy a unique advantage in this event should she reach the *true* latter stages of play (SF+), considering it's been a quarter century since a French woman won in Paris (Mary Pierce in 2000), while the last man was in 1983 (Yannick Noah). Beggars shan't be choosers, so Svitolina would be the de facto home favorite. Of course, it's a big *if* that she'll get that far, but she cleared a significant hurdle toward that goal today. Barely, but with what ultimately became a stern hand.

Svitolina *knows* about losing big leads at Roland Garros, see her crushing QF defeat vs. Simona Halep in 2017 after holding a set and 5-1 lead (and having a MP). So when she fell behind #13 Jasmine Paolini by a score of 6-2/5-3 today, intellectually, she *knew* she could still win.

When the Italian, a '24 RG finalist, held two MP up 5-4 and 15/40 on the Ukrainian's serve, Svitolina had no reason to think it was over. Not *over* over, at least. She upped her aggression, something which was always necessary years ago in order for her get over her particular "hump" in majors, and things started to work in her favor. She forced a 2nd set TB, and led it 4-2. But when Paolini rallied to hold a third MP at 6-5, it seemed it might finally be a bridge too far. But it wasn't for Svitolina.

Rushing to the net to put away a volley winner to save MP #3 not only turned the TB in Svitolina's favor, but the entire match. She won the breaker 8-6, and raced out to a 4-0 3rd set lead vs. her surely-down-in-the-dumps (yes, even Jasmine) opponent. Svitolina knows the feeling. Reaching a MP of her own, the Ukrainian fired a backhand into the corner to complete her escape and reach her fifth QF at Roland Garros, winning 2-6/7-6(6)/6-1.



Svitolina will next face Swiatek for a berth in her maiden RG semifinal. If the three-time defending champ sured up a great deal of the mental and tactical faults that have plagued her over the last year with her comeback win over Rybakina, Svitolina might just *need* her relative "home court advantage," too.

...the 4th Rounder between #8 Zheng Qinwen and #19 Liudmila Samsonova wasn't played under the cover of darkness, but it may as well have been. It started when the Svitolina/Paolini contest was already taking place, and finished while the Swiatek/Rybakina drama was playing out.

Still, with both playing to reach their maiden RG quarterfinal, both women gave it their all. The 1st set alone took nearly an hour and a half, concluding with Zheng finally winning a 7-5 TB to take the match lead.

Samsonova pushed things to a 3rd set, but Zheng surged fastest to the finish, claiming victory at 7-6(5)/1-6/6-3 to win her 10th straight Olympic/Roland Garros match in Paris.



...in Day 8's women's closer, Sabalenka was faced with a foe, #16 Amanda Anisimova, who had a winning record against her. The Bannerette, an early-career semifinalist in Paris in 2019, led 5-2, and was 3-1 against her on clay.

But Sabalenka's stunning slam consistency prevailed once more. She raced out to a 5-2 1st set lead, holding a SP at 5-3. But Anisimova closed the gap, breaking to get back on serve and ultimately winning five games in the stanza, more than any of the world #1's three previous opponents (who'd won just ten *total* games). Still, Sabalenka got the break to win a 7-5 set, then assumed another 5-2 lead in the 2nd.

Again, Anisimova still had fight left. Serving in a long game 8, she saved six MP and got the hold, forcing Sabalenka to serve it out by her own hand. She did, winning 7-5/6-3, but it took two *more* MP before the task was complete.

Sabalenka has reached at least the QF, and usually plays even deeper into the draw than that, at the last three majors, and in the last ten slams at which she's appeared.



Sabalenka stands at 6-1 in her head-to-head vs. Zheng, her next opponent, but the Chinese star's lone victory came in their only meeting on clay last month in Rome.

...some top seeds have already been sent out in the first day of junior play, as #2 Kristina Penickova (USA) was knocked off by Bulgaria's Rositsa Dencheva, #4 Teodora Kostovic (SRB) fell vs. Slovak Mia Pohankova, and #5-seeded Czech Crusher Tereza Krejcova was taken down by German Sonja Zhenikova.

#6 Luna Vujovic (SRB) lost to French wild card Dune Vaissaud; while Kristina wasn't the only Penickova twin to lose, as sister Annika (#14) was defeated by Swede Nellie Taraba Wallberg.

...in Week 22 ITF action, the return to tennis of Kaja Juvan produced a highlight as the 24-year old Slovenian won her biggest career title, her first at any level since 2019, with a $75K crown via a 7-6/7-5 triumph in the final over Austrian Julia Grabher. Juvan has reached a tour level final in Strasbourg (2022), and a 125 in May in Saint-Malo (the one won by Naomi Osaka).



In Otocec (SLO), Amarissa Toth picked up her biggest career title with a 3 & 3 win over Belgian Sofia Costoulas. The Hungarian, of course, is best known for her part in "the incident" in a 2023 match vs. Zhang Shuai in Budapest and her "hostage video" apology after she was ridiculously assailed on social media by "fans," some "big name" media and even some WTA players alike who joined the virtual torch-and-pitchfork mob even though most had little true grasp about the chronology of what had really happened due to a poorly edited video of the happenings of the match that had gone viral that day.



Nastasja Schunk won her first singles title since 2021 when Greek Sapfo Sakellaridi retired in the 3rd set of their $35K final in Villach, Austria. Schunk, a '21 Wimbledon junior finalist, made her slam MD debut at RG in 2022 as a lucky loser, taking Simona Halep to three sets before losing, then made it through qualifying a few weeks later at Wimbledon. Not much has been heard from her as far as nice results since, so it's great to see her popping up again.

In Santo Domingo (DOM), Dasha Vidmanova followed up her completion of the NCAA Triple Crown (career NCAA championships in singles, doubles and the team competition, something done by only two other women, both former Stanford players). The Georgia Bulldog defeated Ana Sofia Sanchez in a 1 & 1 final as the Czech claimed her fifth career ITF crown (all have come since last July).



And, in San Diego, Brit Katie Swan won her first singles title since 2022, taking the $15K crown with a 4 & love win over Dejana Radanovic. Swan played just eleven matches during the '24 season.







*WOMEN'S SINGLES ROUND OF 16*
#1 Aryna Sabalenka/BLR def. #16 Amanda Anisimova/USA
#8 Zheng Qinwen/CHN def. #19 Liudmila Samsonova/RUS
#13 Elina Svitolina/UKR def. #4 Jasmine Paolini/ITA
#5 Iga Swiatek/POL def. #12 Elena Rybakina/KAZ
#6 Mirra Andreeva/RUS vs. #17 Dasha Kasatkina/AUS
(WC) Lois Boisson/FRA vs. #3 Jessie Pegula/USA
#7 Madison Keys/USA vs. Hailey Baptiste/USA
#20 Ekaterina Alexandrova/RUS vs. #2 Coco Gauff/USA

=WOMEN'S DOUBLES QF=
x vs. x
x vs. Eikeri/Hozumi (NOR/JPN)
Danilovic/Potapova (SRB/RUS) vs. #4 M.Andreeva/Shnaider (RUS/RUS)
#6 V.Kudermetova/Mertens (RUS/BEL) vs. x

=MIXED DOUBLES QF=
#1 L.Kichenok/Pavic (UKR/CRO) vs. Krawczyk/Skupski (USA/GBR)
#4 Townsend/King (USA/USA) vs. Siegemund/Roger-Vasselin (GER/FRA)
Nicholls/Patten (GBR/GBR) vs. #3 Errani/Vavassori (ITA/ITA)
Olmos/Glasspool (MEX/GBR) vs. #2 Zhang Sh./Arevalo (CHN/ELS)







...ANOTHER "DATE" WITH ROLAND IS NIGH... ON DAY 8:




...INTERESTING... ON DAY 8:




...FOUND (again?): Iga Swiatek, LOST (again): Toby Kidd?... ON DAY 8:




[from Backspin, April 2025]


Meanwhile, come 2300, it will be revealed that Professor Mayfair Bartkowski -- for reasons known only to her -- used her first time machine to travel back to 1981 and pick up Toby Kidd at the library of Emsley A. Laney High School in Wilmington, North Carolina (during 3rd period) and then switch her out with Iga Swiatek sometime during the summer of 2024.

The real Iga lived out the remainder of her days in early 22nd century Barcelona, winning six more Roland Garros titles while using the name "Toby Kidd" and joking about her resemblance to the four-time title winner from the 2020s. Meanwhile, the real Toby, after at first being uncomfortable in her own skin after undertaking the role of "Iga" decid-... well, we wouldn't want to give away any spoilers and ruin the fun to come, now would we?

Hmmm, so was Iga/Toby "replaced" with the real Iga between the 1st and 2nd sets today, and all it well again? Has "Toby" finally figured things out? Or is there still *another* shoe to drop? Oh, Professor Bartkowski is such a stinker!


...THE CAMERA SHAKE IS A NICE TOUCH (good production values, RG!)... ON DAY 8:




...Hmmm... ON DAY 8:


































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*RG Coupe LA PETIT TAUREAU WINNERS*
2016 Yulia Putintseva, KAZ
2017 Elina Svitolina, UKR
2018 Mihaela Buzarnescu, ROU
2019 Simona Halep, ROU* (*-was first to def. Swiatek at RG, 4r)
2020 Simona Halep, ROU
2021 Carla Suarez Navarro, ESP (one-handed BH)
2022 Diane Parry/FRA (one-handed BH) and Iga Swiatek/POL (title & cap)
2023 Justine Henin - 20th Anniversary of first RG title
2024 Iga Swiatek - first RG three-peat since Henin '07
2025 Iga Swiatek - passes Henin on RG win streak list w/ #25 in comeback vs. Rybakina

*RG "KIMIKO CUP FOR VETERAN ACHIEVEMENT" WINNERS*
2015 Lucie Safarova, CZE
2016 Martina Hingis/SUI and Samantha Stosur/AUS
2017 Bethanie Mattek-Sands & Lucie Safarova, USA/CZE
2018 Latisha Chan, TPE
2019 Latisha Chan, TPE
2020 Petra Kvitova, CZE and Laura Siegemund, GER
2021 Anastasia Pavlyuchenova, RUS
2022 Flavia Pennetta & Francesca Schiavone, ITA/ITA (Legends)
2023 Kgothatso Montjane, RSA (WC) and Hsieh Su-wei, TPE
2024 Laura Siegemund, GER
2025 Elina Svitolina, UKR

*LONGEST RG WIN STREAKS*
29 - Chris Evert, 1974-75/79-81
25 - Monica Seles, 1990-92/96
25 - IGA SWIATEK, 2022-current
24 - Justine Henin, 2005-07/10
20 - Steffi Graf, 1987-89
19 - Chris Evert, 1985-87
18 - Steffi Graf, 1995-97








TOP QUALIFIER: Nao Hibino/JPN
TOP EARLY-ROUND (1r-2r): #1 Aryna Sabalenka/BLR (5 games lost 1r/2r)
TOP MIDDLE-ROUND (3r-QF): xx
TOP LATE-ROUND (SF-F): xx
TOP QUALIFYING MATCH: Q2 - Nao Nibino/JPN def. #17 Bianca Andreescu/CAN 2-6/7-6(5)/6-4 - Andreescu led 6-2/5-3, holding a MP in game #8 of the 2nd and then serving for the win a game later, and led 5-2 in the 2nd set TB; Hibino also saved 2 MP vs. Ella Seidel/GER in Q3
TOP EARLY-RD. MATCH (1r-2r): 1st Rd. - #10 Paula Badosa/ESP def. Naomi Osaka/JPN 6-7(1)/6-1/6-4 - Badosa SP in 1st, up break at 4-3 3rd and saved BP; Osaka out 1r year after had MP vs. Swiatek 2r and won first pro title on clay in '25)
TOP MIDDLE-RD. MATCH (3r-QF): xx
TOP LATE-RD. MATCH (SF-F/Jr.-WC): xx
=============================
FIRST VICTORY: #13 Elina Svitolina/UKR (def. Sonmez/TUR)
FIRST SEED OUT: #28 Peyton Stearns/USA (1r: Lys/GER)
FIRST SLAM MD WINS: Emiliana Arango/COL, Sara Bejlek/CZE, Lois Boisson/FRA, Joanna Garland/TPE, Victoria Mboko/CAN, Leyre Romero Gormaz/ESP, Tereza Valentova/CZE
UPSET QUEENS: Czech Republic
REVELATION LADIES: United States
NATION OF POOR SOULS: Australia (2-5 1st Rd.; only wins AUS/AUS 1r and new-AUS Kasatkina)
LAST QUALIFIER STANDING: Victoria Mboko/CAN (3rd Rd.)
LUCKY LOSER WINS: Yuliia Starodubtseva/UKR (3rd Rd.)
LAST WILD CARD STANDING: Lois Boisson/FRA (in 4th Rd.)
PROTECTED RANKING WINS: none
LAST PASTRY STANDING: Lois Boisson/FRA (in 4th Rd.)
Ms./Mademoiselle OPPORTUNITY: Nominees: Baptiste, Boisson
IT "TBD": Nominees: Mirra, Zheng, Boisson
COMEBACK PLAYER: Nominee: Gauff's missing rackets (1r, Day 3)
CRASH & BURN: #9 Emma Navarro/USA (1r- wins 1 game vs. Bouzas Maneiro)
ZOMBIE QUEEN OF PARIS: #7 Madison Keys/USA (saved MP in second straight major: AO SF vs. Swiatek, RG 3r down 3-0 in 3rd vs. Kenin, saved 3 MP at 5-4)
DOUBLES STAR: x
VETERAN PLAYER (KIMIKO CUP): Elina Svitolina/UKR
Mademoiselle/Madame OF THE EVENING: -
JUNIOR BREAKOUT: x
Légion de Lenglen: 100th anniversary of Suzanne Lenglen's first grand slam French Championship titles (WS/WD/MX sweep) in 1925 (first time event open to non-FRA competitors)
Coupe LA PETIT TAUREAU: On Henin's birthday (June 1), Iga Swiatek passes Henin on all-time RG win streak list w/ #25, def. Rybakina from 6-1 and early 2nd set break, and Rybakina had 3 BP for 4-2 lead in 3rd








All for Day 8. More tomorrow.

posted by Todd.Spiker @ 8:08 PM 

1 Comments:

Blogger khan35 said...

Swiatek will win against Svitolina. But, I still think she won't win Roland-Garros this year. Sabalenka or Zheng will probably beat her in the SF.

Sun Jun 01, 10:27:00 PM EDT  

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