PARIS – Polish teenager Iga Swiatek shocked top seed and title favourite Simona Halep to reach the Roland Garros last eight on Sunday.
Swiatek, just 19 and ranked 54 in the world, triumphed 6-1, 6-2 on the back of 30 winners and not allowing 2018 champion Halep a single breakpoint.
“I am surprised I could do this,” admitted Swiatek after ending the 17-match winning streak of Halep, the overwhelming favourite in the absence of 2019 champion Ashleigh Barty and US Open winner Naomi Osaka and following the injury-enforced withdrawal of Serena Williams.
It was a stunning turnaround for the Pole who won just one game against the Romanian at the same stage in Paris last year, swept off the court in just 45 minutes.
“Last year I wasn’t experienced enough, it was my first match in a big stadium so I was a little stressed, but now I can handle the pressure.”
Halep had arrived in Paris with clay-court titles from Prague and Rome and had demolished Amanda Anisimova, who shocked her in Paris last year, for the loss of one game in 54 minutes in the third round.
“She played really well; it was her match today,” admitted Halep who said she'll quickly get over her disappointment with her season now at an end.
“I will have a chocolate and I will be better tomorrow.”
Swiatek will face Italian qualifier Martina Trevisan for a place in the semi-finals after the 26-year-old, world number 159, registered a 6-4, 6-4 victory over fifth seed Kiki Bertens, a semi-finalist in 2016.
Trevisan is the first qualifier to make the last eight since Yaroslava Shvedova in 2012. – AFP, October 4, 2020
