Paris, June 5 (IANS) Top seed Aryna Sabalenka ended Iga Swiatek’s era of dominance at Roland Garros in dramatic fashion on Thursday, snapping the Pole’s 26-match winning streak at the French Open with a 7-6(1), 4-6, 6-0 semifinal victory to reach her maiden clay-court Grand Slam final.

In a high-stakes showdown beneath the closed roof of Court Philippe-Chatrier, Sabalenka displayed immense power and poise, dismantling the four-time Roland Garros champion in two hours and 19 minutes. It was the Belarusian’s 40th main-draw win of the 2025 season — the most on tour — and it secured her sixth Grand Slam final appearance, more than any other player in the 2020s.

“This one means a lot,” said Sabalenka. “Beating Iga here, where she’s been nearly unbeatable, shows how far I’ve come.”

Swiatek, the tournament’s No. 5 seed, had been undefeated in Paris since 2021 and boasted a formidable 40-3 record at Roland Garros, including titles in 2020, 2022, and 2023. But on this occasion, she was simply outclassed in the decider by Sabalenka’s relentless aggression and flawless execution.

The first set was a tug of war — Sabalenka roared to a 3-0 lead with a double break, only for Swiatek to claw her way back to 5-5. Both players traded four breaks of serve in a tense hour-long battle that culminated in a tiebreak, where Sabalenka pulled away emphatically. Unleashing her biggest serves when it mattered most, she raced to a 5-1 lead, closed it out 7-1, and struck the first major blow of the contest.

Swiatek regrouped in the second set. Flattening her forehand and attacking the net with more intent, she grabbed an early break and held steady, even blanking Sabalenka in the final game to take the set 6-4 and keep her title defense alive.

But whatever momentum Swiatek had was erased in a whirlwind third set.

Sabalenka erupted with a flawless 22-minute blitz, delivering a clean slate of zero unforced errors while hitting five winners and converting all three break points. Swiatek had no answers to Sabalenka’s pace and precision as the final set ended 6-0.

With the victory, Sabalenka also avenged her loss to Swiatek in the 2022 US Open semifinal — their only previous Grand Slam encounter. And by reaching the finals of the 2024 US Open, 2025 Australian Open, and now Roland Garros, she becomes the first woman since Serena Williams in 2016 to make three consecutive major finals.

Awaiting her in Saturday’s final is the winner of the second semifinal between World No. 2 Coco Gauff and French wildcard Lois Boisson.

–IANS

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