Paris (AFP) – Defending champion Iga Swiatek staged a dramatic comeback on Sunday to secure her place in the French Open quarter-finals, overcoming a tough challenge from former Wimbledon winner Elena Rybakina.
The three-time reigning Roland Garros champion recovered from a lopsided first set to edge out the 12th seed 1-6, 6-3, 7-5 in a tense two-hour, 29-minute showdown on Court Philippe Chatrier.
Swiatek, now aiming for her fourth straight French Open title, will next meet Elina Svitolina, who earlier saved three match points to knock out 2023 finalist Jasmine Paolini.
The Polish star, who dominated the clay circuit last year with titles in Madrid, Rome, and Paris, appeared on the brink of another early exit following underwhelming runs in Madrid and Rome this season. Against Rybakina, she found herself a set and a break down before turning things around.
“Honestly, that first set felt like playing Jannik Sinner,” Swiatek said after the match. “I had to dig really deep. With the way she was playing, I didn’t think I had much of a chance.”
Rybakina came out firing, surging to a 5-0 lead before Swiatek finally got on the scoreboard after a lengthy service game. The Kazakh closed out the set convincingly, appearing in full control.
But Swiatek, a five-time Grand Slam winner, responded in the second set with renewed determination. Despite early nerves and a few double faults, she held firm in a key fifth game and then broke Rybakina to love, gaining the momentum needed to force a third set.
In a see-saw final set, Swiatek grabbed the lead at 4-3, only to surrender it with a double fault. But with the score level at 5-5, she broke Rybakina once more and then served out the match to complete a gritty comeback.
The win gives Swiatek her first clay-court victory over Rybakina and improves her head-to-head record to 5-4.
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