2 days ago
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Marta Kostyuk reached the quarterfinals astatine the French Open for the archetypal clip connected Sunday (May 31, 2026) by taking retired four-time champion Iga Swiatek 7-5, 6-1 and ruining her birthday.
Kostyuk, who is undefeated connected clay this season, had mislaid their 3 erstwhile matches and ne'er taken a acceptable against the erstwhile top-ranked player, who turned 25 connected Sunday (May 31).
She defended highly well, chasing Swiatek's shots each implicit the court, and besides produced immoderate stunning groundstroke winners portion her rival was besides undone by her ain mistakes.
An aggravated baseline conflict unfolded from the outset and Swiatek earned the archetypal interruption erstwhile she overwhelmed Kostyuk aft a agelong rally with a backhand winner.
Kostyuk broke backmost immediately, though, lone to driblet her service again and manus Swiatek a 5-4 lead.
The Polish subordinate showed signs of nerves arsenic she double-faulted, shanked a forehand wide and past missed a volley astatine the net, allowing Kostyuk to level astatine 5-5. Swiatek deed 2 much treble faults successful the 12th crippled and the 15th-seeded Ukrainian subordinate sealed the acceptable with a backhand passing shot.
Swiatek past concisely near the court. Meanwhile, Kostyuk kept herself lukewarm by stretching and hopping beside her chair, past received immoderate applause arsenic she did a fewer creation moves to the euphony playing successful the stadium.
Following a archetypal week marked by a suffocating heatwave, alleviation yet arrived successful Paris connected Sunday, with temperatures dropping to 21 degrees C (70 F) astir midday.
When play resumed, Swiatek broke, but yet different treble responsibility coupled with much unforced errors brought her hostile backmost astatine 1-1. Kostyuk past won the past 5 games.
Kostyuk had reached the 4th circular astatine Roland Garros successful 2021, losing to Swiatek.
The 15th-ranked Ukrainian is successful a beardown tally of signifier and extended her winning streak connected clay to 16 matches. Ahead of Roland Garros, she won successful Madrid — the biggest rubric of her vocation — aft she claimed different clay-court rubric successful Rouen, France.
Swiatek has not won a rubric connected clay since the 2024 French Open.
