PARIS: Iga Swiatek closed in on a third successive French Open title Thursday as she defeated Coco Gauff 6-2, 6-4 in the semi-finals, while Novak Djokovic said surgery on his injured knee "went well."
World number one Swiatek extended her winning run in Paris to 20 matches and advanced to a fourth Roland Garros final in five years, with 17-year-old Mirra Andreeva or Italy's Jasmine Paolini standing between her and another title.
Swiatek, who had won 10 of her previous 11 meetings with Gauff in straight sets, wasted no time in grabbing the initiative as she broke the US Open champion in the opening game of the match.
The Pole withstood break points in her first two service games, before striking again to move up a double break at 4-1.
She closed out the first set without trouble, but third seed Gauff threatened a fightback when she nosed 3-1 ahead in the second set after wiping away tears following an argument with the chair umpire over the timing of a line call.
Swiatek though responded the very next game and won four in a row to surge to the cusp of victory.
Gauff saved two match points to make Swiatek serve it out, which the top seed eventually did at the fourth time of asking.
"It was intense. In the second set it was tight because we were breaking each other," said Swiatek.
"I was consistent with my tactics, didn't overthink stuff and just went for it in the end."
Swiatek improved to 34-2 at the French Open after beating Gauff at Roland Garros for the third tournament in a row.
She has won all four of her previous Grand Slam finals and could become only the fourth woman to win four Roland Garros titles in the Open era – after Justine Henin, Chris Evert and Steffi Graf.
Swiatek is also on track to join Serena Williams as the only women to complete the treble of French, Madrid and Rome Open titles in the same year.
Russian Andreeva, the youngest Grand Slam semi-finalist since Martina Hingis in 1997, takes on the unheralded Paolini in the other last-four encounter.
Andreeva stole the headlines in the quarter-finals with a shock victory over world number two Aryna Sabalenka, who was hit by a stomach bug, becoming the youngest woman to reach a Slam semi-final since Hingis at the US Open 27 years ago.
She will now bid to back up that statement performance against 12th seed Paolini, who also got through with a surprise win against former Wimbledon champion Elena Rybakina.
Both Andreeva and Paolini had never reached the quarters at a major tournament before this week, but are now just one match from the final.
With another win, Andreeva will also be the youngest Slam finalist since Hingis, who won the 1997 US Open aged 16.
The pair met for the only previous time earlier this year in the Madrid Open last 16, when Andreeva came out on top in two tight sets.
"I remember our match in Madrid. I remember that it was tough," said Andreeva. "She played really good tennis, and after I was able to catch up a little bit.
"I'm sure that it will a great match."
Paolini had never got past the second round at a Grand Slam before this year, but the 28-year-old has been much improved in 2024, also reaching the Australian Open last 16.
"She's so young but she's so, so good mentally, and she can defend very well," Paolini said of her upcoming opponent.
"It's going to be a tough match, but we are in the semi-final, so there is no chance to get easy matches."
Djokovic confirmed Thursday he had undergone an operation on his right knee he injured during his last-16 win.
The 24-time Grand Slam winner Djokovic was forced to withdraw ahead of his Roland Garros quarter-final against Casper Ruud after a scan revealed a torn medial meniscus in his right knee.
"In the past day, I had to make some tough decisions after sustaining a meniscus tear during my last match," he posted on social media.
"I'm still processing it all but I am happy to update you that the surgery went well."
The 37-year-old made no mention of whether he would be fit to take part at Wimbledon which begins on July 1 but added that he was going to "do my best to be healthy and fit to return to the court as soon as possible."
