Iga Swiatek avoids French Open upset as Naomi Osaka produces statement performance
Iga Swiatek survived a scare against Naomi Osaka.
Naomi Osaka came close to pulling off the upset against world No. 1 Iga Swiatek in the second round of the French Open on Wednesday.
The four-time Grand Slam champion served for it in the final set and had a match point. But Swiatek - who has not lost a match at Roland Garros since 2021 and has won the tournament in three of the last four editions - extended her streak to 16 matches in a row in Paris.
The top seed survived a massive scare and took the last five games in a row to seal a 7-6(1) 1-6 7-5 victory.
Related articles
There was one section that everyone circled as soon as the draw was made at the French Open. If they both got through their first-round matches, Swiatek and Osaka would face off. And they did just that, coming up against each other under the closed roof on Court Philippe-Chatrier on Wednesday afternoon.
The world No. 1 was the heavy favourite. She came into the French Open off the back of winning back-to-back titles in Madrid and Rome. Her last loss was more than a month ago and she had won her last 13 matches. But she was made to work.
Osaka, who this time a year ago was pregnant with her first child, was the underdog. Even at her peak, she was never known for her clay-court skills. But she had made it her mission to change that this year. And by pushing Swiatek to her limits, she did just that.
Our community members are treated to special offers, promotions, and adverts from us and our partners. You can check out at any time. Read our Privacy Policy
It was advantage Swiatek early on as the three-time French Open champion broke to love for a 2-1 lead, showing why no one could come close to her on the Parisian clay. But momentum suddenly turned in the middle of the set and, after leading 40-0, some errors started to creep in and the 22-year-old was broken as Osaka levelled things at 4-4.
The tide turned as Osaka saved another break point and suddenly found herself with a set point on Swiatek’s serve. But a costly error kept the Pole in it and Swiatek eventually forced a tiebreak, dominating to take it 7-1. Just when it appeared that the world No. 1 had full control, Osaka proved that she was well and truly back, putting in her best performance on the clay.
The top seed couldn’t keep up with Osaka’s power and it was suddenly a very different match. The Japanese star raced into a 4-0 lead, moving superbly around the clay as if she had grown up on the tricky surface. As Swiatek served to stay in the set at 1-5 she hit a double fault to hand Osaka a set point and another mistake sealed her fate. Osaka forced a decider, having hit 10 winners to just two unforced errors in the second.
Don't miss...
Tsitsipas tells his dad to 'shut up' during French Open match in fresh spat [RECAP]
French Open issues response after Goffin's accusations against partisan crowd [RESPONSE]
French Open home star weighs in on crowd controversy after Goffin accusation [REACTION]
Osaka saved a break point to open the third before snatching a game from Swiatek, who led 40-15 before getting broken as Osaka ripped returns straight past her. It was another huge hold for the 26-year-old, who came back from 0-40 down to consolidate her break. Swiatek finally ended Osaka’s run of games at five, getting herself on the board in the third.
But she was on the back foot - Osaka couldn’t miss and the defending champion was pulled into a marathon game at 1-4 as the heavens opened outside and the sound of the rain hitting the roof on Philippe-Chatrier echoed through the stands. She survived and kept her deficit to just one break.
Time was running out on Swiatek’s unbeaten run at Roland Garros as Osaka put herself within a game of victory. The world No. 1 held from 0-30 on her serve and asked the serve-it-out question to her fellow four-time Grand Slam champion. After starting the game with a forehand winner, Osaka was in trouble. She netted the ball and sent it long to give Swiatek a break point.
Two more winners got her to match point. But Swiatek had another lifeline as Osaka dumped the ball into the net on the next two points. The 26-year-old sent the ball long and the top seed was back in it, gifted the break at a crucial moment. The momentum was back with the reigning champion as the errors started to come off of Osaka’s racket.
It was Osaka’s turn to be pulled into a battle of a game as some of her shots became too powerful and went beyond the lines. She saved a break point before giving it away on a double fault, giving Swiatek the chance to serve for the match after being on the cusp of defeat.
The 22-year-old held her nerve and pulled off an epic escape, booking her spot in the third round after two hours and 57 minutes. And the four-time Grand Slam champions embraced at the net after an enthralling battle as Swiatek advanced to the third round and kept her hopes of a three-peat alive.
