Iga Swiatek beats enraged Coco Gauff to reach French Open final
The world number one claimed a 6-2 6-4 as she edged closer to another title at Roland Garros
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Iga Swiatek moved one step away from a fourth French Open title as Coco Gauff was reduced to tears during her semi-final exit on Thursday at Roland Garros.
An emotional Gauff had a blazing row with umpire Aurelie Tourte, telling the official she “should be ashamed” for not overturning a call.
The 20-year-old American then wiped tears from her eyes as boos rang out all around Court Philippe Chatrier.
World No 1 Swiatek, a seemingly unstoppable force at Roland Garros, went on to register her 20th consecutive win here, 6-2, 6-4.
Swiatek is now just one victory away from becoming the first woman to claim three consecutive French Open titles since Justine Henin in 2007.
It was another disheartening afternoon for Gauff, who is on the wrong side of one of sport’s most one-sided rivalries.
Swiatek has now won 11 of their 12 meetings, and has not dropped a single set in any of those victories.
The Pole was already a set ahead, thanks in no small part to 18 unforced errors from Gauff’s racquet, when the American returned a Swiatek serve as it was called out.
Tourte overruled the call and, when the return floated out, awarded the point to Swiatek, to Gauff’s utter disbelief.
“He called it and then I hit it. I’m a thousand per cent sure,” Gauff raged. “If he called it before I hit it, I stop my reaction. I didn’t even finish my follow-through.”
Tourte was adamant the call did not affect Gauff’s shot.
“You’re wrong,” insisted Gauff. “It’s the second time that happened. You should be ashamed. It’s a grand slam semi-final, know the rules of the game.”
Gauff doubled down on her opinion afterwards, calling for video replays to be used.
“I think tennis is the only sport where not only we don’t have the VR system, but a lot of times the decisions are made by one person,” she said.
“At this point it’s almost ridiculous that we don’t have it. Not also just speaking because that happened to me, but I just think every sport has it.
“Also, there are so many decisions that are made, and it sucks as a player to go back or online and you see that you were completely right, and it’s like, what does that give you in that moment?”
Gauff, fuelled by a sense of injustice, went on to break Swiatek’s serve for the first time in the match to lead 3-1 in the second set.
But Swiatek hit back and although Gauff saved three match points, a forehand wide on the fourth sent the favourite through to another Paris final.
“I think I was pretty intense and putting pressure on Coco,” said Swiatek.
“Even though I got broken at the beginning of the second set, I knew that I can come back quickly, and I got my level of intensity a little bit higher to do that.
“I think most of the things overall in my game worked today, so I’m proud of myself.”
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