Iga Swiatek came through a titanic second-round clash with fellow four-time grand slam champion Naomi Osaka to reach the French Open third round. Osaka looked set to pull off her biggest win in years when she led the world No 1 and defending champion 5-2 in the third set.
But the 26-year-old from Japan will have nightmares about a missed forehand as Swiatek survived a match point to come back from the brink of defeat and win 7-6 (1) 1-6 7-5. It was a remarkable effort from Osaka, the former world No 1 who only returned to action after maternity leave in January.
It was only three years ago that she pulled out of the French Open, suffering from depression, and put her tennis career on hold. She has never particularly liked playing on clay, having not progressed past the third round in Paris, and she is now ranked 134 in the world.
Swiatek, by contrast, has looked invincible on her best surface this season, winning her last 13 matches including titles in Madrid and Rome, and was a red-hot favourite for a third successive Roland Garros title, and a fourth in five years.
هذه القصة مأخوذة من طبعة May 30, 2024 من The Independent.
ابدأ النسخة التجريبية المجانية من Magzter GOLD لمدة 7 أيام للوصول إلى آلاف القصص المتميزة المنسقة وأكثر من 9,000 مجلة وصحيفة.
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هذه القصة مأخوذة من طبعة May 30, 2024 من The Independent.
ابدأ النسخة التجريبية المجانية من Magzter GOLD لمدة 7 أيام للوصول إلى آلاف القصص المتميزة المنسقة وأكثر من 9,000 مجلة وصحيفة.
بالفعل مشترك? تسجيل الدخول
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