Iga Swiatek back to dominant best at French Open – and gets surprise from Chatrier crowd
Iga Swiatek doubled down on her French Open title credentials with an impressive round three display on Friday – and is clearly still a popular figure with the Paris crowd.
World No 1 and two-time defending champion Swiatek battled back from the brink in her previous match against Naomi Osaka, saving a match point in a thriller against her fellow four-time major winner.
On paper, she had a much more straightforward task against Marie Bouzkova in round three on Friday and delivered a much-improved performance.
It took just 90 minutes for the three-time French Open champion to dispatch her Czech opponent 6-4, 6-2, moving through to the second week – and booking a round four date against Anastasia Potapova.
On court after the match, Swiatek was in a buoyant mood after a strong display.
She said: “I had to wait and not rush it, so I’m happy in the end that I did that.
“I feel good physically. I had a day off yesterday so I don’t feel like this match [against Osaka] stayed with me.
“Obviously we’ll see at the tournament, but obviously today’s match was for sure just solid. I’m happy I could finish it in two sets and close it in an hour and 30 minutes. For sure, it’s a good thing.”
The ‘ is through to Round 4 of the French Open
Iga Swiatek #RolandGarros pic.twitter.com/ATUVRNyReB
— Eurosport (@eurosport) May 31, 2024
Despite a huge scare in her previous match, Swiatek’s victory on Friday shows just why she is still a huge favourite for the title.
Bouzkova may not have had the weapons to threaten too regularly but it was still a stylish performance from the Pole, and with key rivals such as Danielle Collins out of the tournament, her path to at least the last four looks more comfortable.
However, it was not only the match against Osaka itself that got people talking, with a significant reaction to Swiatek’s comments on-court after the contest.
The world No 1 asked for the crowd to show more respect, after appearing visibly flustered during the match when a fan called out mid-point.
Her comments have attracted huge debate and partially led to the decision to ban alcohol from the stands at Roland Garros – a decision that has attracted huge debate.
However, there is still huge support for Swiatek – on what was a special day for her in more ways than one.
Swiatek sealed victory on her 23rd birthday, and some fans sang ‘Happy Birthday’ to her in French after the match – before interviewer Fabrice Santoro led an English rendition of the song.
She will be hoping for similar support against Potapova on Sunday, in a match likely to also be on Chatrier.
