09 October,2020 07:52 AM IST | Paris | AFP
Iga Swiatek celebrates a point against Nadia Podoroska in their French Open semi-final yesterday. pic:AP/PTI
Teenager Iga Swiatek made history at the French Open on Thursday. She became the first Polish woman in 81 years to reach the final at Roland Garros after beating Argentine qualifier Nadia Podoroska 6-2, 6-1. Swiatek, 19, is yet to drop a set at the tournament and will play Australian Open winner Sofia Kenin in Saturday's final.
"I'm surprised. I never thought at the start that I would play so good here but always knew that if I was going to be in the final of a Grand Slam it would be at the French Open. It's a dream come true," she said. Swiatek, ranked 54, has matched the run of compatriot Jadwiga Jedrzejowska, who finished runner-up at Roland Garros in 1939. She is only the second Polish woman to reach a Grand Slam final in the Open era after Agnieszka Radwanska at Wimbledon in 2012. Swiatek becomes the seventh unseeded women's finalist at Roland Garros.
Nadia Podoroska
"Basically, I wanted to play this match as if it was the first round. I didn't want to think I was in the semi-finals because it would stress me," said Swiatek, who has conceded only 23 games en route to the final. The last woman to capture the French Open title without losing a set was Justine Henin in 2007.
Meanwhile, Kenin defeated Petra Kvitova 6-4, 7-5 to reach the final and will attempt to capture a second Grand Slam of the year following her Australian Open triumph.
The American faltered when serving for the match at 5-4 but broke Kvitova in the following game before closing out the victory over the Czech seventh seed.
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